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Trip of the Tongue: Cross-Country Travels in Search of America's Languages
by Elizabeth LittleThough we speak English as a nation, it's no secret that America is far from uniform. Spanish, in particular, has long been touted as the language that will figure into our national future; much has been written about the need to recognize it in our laws and schools.Yet billing America as a bilingual country is a gross misrepresentation. They speak Basque in Nevada, Hindi in San Jose, and Gullah in South Carolina. We speak European, Asian, and Native American languages, as well as hybrids like Creole and Spanglish. And Elizabeth Little's home--Queens, New York--is among the most ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse places on the planet.Small surprise, then, that Little felt a yearning to find the cultural and linguistic soul of the country. And she has done it in the most American way imaginable: on a road trip.This book is the result: a festive roadmap of the bounties of our country. We'll learn about the struggle of the French-speaking population of Maine to get along with the community around them; the traditional ways of the German-speaking Amish in Pennsylvania; and the rich history of the little-known African population of Nantucket. Elizabeth Little is a witty and endearing tourguide for this memorable and original trip.
The Tudors: Tudors (History from Objects #1)
by Angela RoystonThrough examining primary evidence, such as, pots, swords, remains, artwork, buildings and tapestries, the reader will be introduced to each historical age.
Turtles in Our Wake
by Sandra ClaytonMost people at some point long to escape - from the weather, the commute, the routine. Sailing off in a forty-foot boat called Voyager comes at a price, however. Indeed, for David and Sandra Clayton it meant selling their house and possessions with a lifetime's collection of memories and emotions attached to them. But the result provedlife-enhancing.With her eye for detail and vivid descriptions, Sandra carries the reader with her through some of the Mediterranean's loveliest islands. Charmed by tranquil anchorages, ancient harbours and the people they meet, they also develop a fascination with the sea and its wildlife. And, whilst questioning the things we value and the nature of happiness, this book reveals the growing and sometimes amusing inter-dependence of two people alone at sea.This is the sequel to the popular Dolphins under my Bed, which charted Sandra and David's first long journey: a 2,000-mile voyage from England, down the Atlantic coast and into the warm waters of the Mediterranean.
Two Lipsticks and a Lover: A Year in Suspenders
by Helena Frith-PowellSmart and very funny' Richard & Judy 'Witty, and very elegantly written... verbal Viagra' Sunday Times 'A fascinating - and illuminating - read.' Daily Mail 'Funny, warm and charming' French Magazine I devoured it. It is so funny and sharp! (Marco Redolfi, Head Of PR Of Dolce & Gabbanna Why is it that French women look just as glamorous in a T-shirt and pair of jeans as in a sleek designer dress? How do they look sexy, chic and timelessly elegant from eighteen to eighty? Pencil-thin, stylishly dressed and, always, impeccably groomed? In search of answers, travel and lifestyle journalist Helena Frith Powell goes behind the scenes to investigate the famous French je ne sais quoi. Talking to fashion gurus, beauty experts and It Girls, professional seducers, lingerie designers and personal shoppers, she discovers a whole new world: indispensable wardrobe and beauty secrets; shopping done the right way and exercise routines promising lasting success; advice on sex toys, family life, relationships and clandestine affaires. French women, Helena realises, achieve maximum effect with the least amount of effort. And with the help of a few little secrets, you too can become impossibly French ...
Two Middle-Aged Ladies in Andalucia
by Penelope ChetwodePenelope Chetwode's middle-aged companion on her ride over the mule tracks and goat paths of Andalusia in 1961 was a twelve-year-old mare, La Marquesa. This treasured animal, borrowed from the Duke of Wellington's Spanish stables, brought her experience of native travel conditions to the expedition, which was otherwise inspired by the author's reading of those early British Hispanophiles George Borrow and Richard Ford, combined with her interest in the breeding of Spanish horses. Together the travellers brought out the best in their Spanish hosts, whether met on the road, in a crude country inn, a cave-house or during Penelope's frequent attendance in church. The result is a journey described with warmth and wit, lit up by an infectious fascination for horses, God and Spain.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being a Prawn Cracker: A Selection of Real Meals (Penguin Specials)
by Will SelfThe Unbearable Lightness of Being a Prawn Cracker - hilarious restaurant reviews by Booker nominee Will Self'Most food writing and restaurant criticism is concerned with the ideal, with how by cooking this, or dining there, you can somehow ingurgitate a new - or at any rate improved - social, aesthetic and even spiritual persona. I aimed to turn this proposition on its head, and instead of commenting on where and what people would ideally like to eat I would consider where and what they actually did: the ready meals, buffet snacks and - most importantly - fast food that millions of Britons chomp upon in the go-round of their often hurried and dyspeptic lives.'In this selection from his wickedly funny New Statesman Real Meals column, Will Self reviews the chains where most of us go to eat (KFC, Greggs, Yo! Sushi, Pizza Express and their like), delves into the ubiquitous Thai meal and Chicken Tikka Masala, and experiences hotel breakfasts, frozen TV dinners and airline food on our behalf. These are restaurant reviews of the kind you've never read before.Will Self is the author of nine novels including Cock and Bull; My Idea of Fun; Great Apes; How the Dead Live; Dorian, an Imitation; The Book of Dave; The Butt; Walking to Hollywood and Umbrella, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He has written five collections of shorter fiction and three novellas: The Quantity Theory of Insanity; Grey Area; License to Hug; The Sweet Smell of Psychosis; Design Faults in the Volvo 760 Turbo; Tough, Tough Toys for Tough, Tough Boys; Dr. Mukti and Other Tales of Woe and Liver: A Fictional Organ with a Surface Anatomy of Four Lobes. Self has also compiled a number of nonfiction works, including The Undivided Self: Selected Stories; Junk Mail; Perfidious Man; Sore Sites; Feeding Frenzy; Psychogeography; Psycho Too and The Unbearable Lightness of Being a Prawn Cracker.
The Universe: Everything That Can Happen Does Happen
by Andrew CohenEvery night, above our heads, a drama of epic proportions is playing out. Diamond planets, zombie stars, black holes heavier than a billion Suns. The cast of characters is extraordinary, and each one has its own incredible story to tell.
Up in the Old Hotel
by Joseph Mitchell'The master of a journalistic style long vanished - urbane, lucid, courteous... A masterpiece of observation and storytelling' Ian McEwanMitchell is the laureate of old New York. The hidden corners of the city and the people who lived there are his subject. He captured the waterfront rooming-houses , nickel-a-drink saloons, all-night restaurants, the 'visionaries, obsessives, imposters, fanatics, lost souls, the end-is-near street preachers, old Gypsy Kings and old Gypsy Queens, and out-and-out freak-show freaks.' Mitchell's trademark curiosity, respect and graveyard humour fuel these magical essays. Written between 1943 and 1965, Up in the Old Hotel is the complete collection of Joseph Mitchell 's New Yorker journalism and includes McSorley's Wonderful Saloon, Old Mr Flood, The Bottom of the Harbour and Joe Gould's Secret. 'Joseph Mitchell is buried treasure' Salman Rushdie
Urban Waterways: A Window On To The Waterways Of England's Towns And Cities
by Derek PrattBefore roads and rail, the industrial hubs of Great Britain were linked to the ports by a network of manmade waterways. These canals fell into disuse in the early part of the twentieth century, but in the last fifty years they have undergone a complete revival. These newly transformed waterways have become attractive destinations, and for newcomers to a city, walking its waterways will unlock famous highlights as well as hidden delights. And that is just what this book does too.With the lavish colour photography for which he is renowned, Britain's 'biographer photographer' Derek Pratt explores all the major cities and towns linked by waterways, bringing to life the canals and their environs with images that are stunning, stylish and beautiful. Through interesting, informative and typically quirky text, Derek also reveals a whole treasure trove of fascinating things most people don't know about these industrial landscapes, whilst also explaining the commercial history of the waterways, their subsequent decline and recent revitalisation.Towns and cities covered include: London, Oxford, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Stoke on Trent and the Potteries, Leeds, Gloucester, Reading, Birmingham and the Black Country, Rugby, Worcester, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and Bath.
Vanishing Cornwall (Virago Modern Classics #132)
by Daphne Du Maurier'There was a smell in the air of tar and rope and rusted chain, a smell of tidal water. Down harbour, around the point, was the open sea. Here was the freedom I desired, long sought-for, not yet known. Freedom to write, to walk, to wander, freedom to climb hills, to pull a boat, to be alone . . . I for this, and this for me.'Daphne du Maurier lived in Cornwall for most of her life. Its rugged coastline, wild terrain and tumultuous weather inspired her imagination, and many of her works are set there, including Rebecca, Jamaica Inn and Frenchman's Creek. In Vanishing Cornwall she celebrates the land she loved, exploring its legends, its history and its people, eloquently making a powerful plea for Cornwall's preservation.
The Victorians: Victorians (History from Objects #6)
by Angela RoystonThrough examining primary evidence, such as books, photographs, artwork, buildings and inventions, the reader will be introduced to each historical age. Find out about victorian children and their families, about inventions and discoveries, about the Industrial Revolution and about houses and homes. Do the multiple choice quiz at the end to find out what you have learnt.
The Villa: Escape to Sicily with the Number One Bestseller
by Rosanna LeyTHE #1 KINDLE BESTSELLER. An unforgettable story set off the sun-soaked coast of Sicily for fans of Dinah Jefferies, Victoria Hislop and Santa Montefiore.'The perfect holiday companion' - Heat'The ultimate feel-good read' - Candis'Sun-soaked escapism' - Best**********When Tess Angel receives a solicitor's letter inviting her to claim her inheritance - the Villa Sirena, perched on a clifftop in Sicily - she is stunned. Her only link to the island is through her mother, Flavia, who left Sicily during World War II and cut all contact with her family. When Tess goes to Sicily, Flavia realises the secrets from her past are about to be revealed and decides to try to explain her actions. Meanwhile, Tess' teenage daughter Ginny is stressed by college, by her blooming sexuality and filled with questions that she longs to ask her father, if only she knew where he was...********SEE WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT ROSANNA LEY:'An impeccably researched and deftly written narrative that kept me hooked until the end' - Kathryn Hughes, bestselling author of The Letter 'Loved it from start to finish. A brilliant holiday read' - Amazon reviewer'Perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Victoria Hislop and Leah Fleming' - Candis 'On so many levels a fantastic read' - Amazon reviewer'A fascinating story with engaging themes' - Dinah Jefferies, bestselling author of The Tea Planter's Wife 'Warm, enthralling, one of my favourite authors' - Amazon reviewer
Visit Sunny Chernobyl: Adventures in the World’s Most Polluted Places
by Andrew BlackwellThe lifeless moonscape of Canada's oil sand strip mines.A vast vortex of plastic floating endlessly around the Pacific.An eerie abandoned town square in a radioactive Ukrainian wilderness.These are the places the tourist boards would rather you didn't see. The places that don't show up in any guide books. And the places that, six years ago, journalist and film-maker Andrew Blackwell set out to explore. Visit Sunny Chernobyl is the wry, funny, sometimes poignant tale of his trip through the world's most degraded environments.
A Visitor's Companion to Tudor England
by Suzannah LipscombJoin historian Suzannah Lipscomb as she reveals the hidden secrets of palaces, castles, theatres and abbeys to uncover the stories of Tudor England. From the famous palace at Hampton Court where dangerous court intrigue was rife, to less well-known houses, such as Anne Boleyn's childhood home at Hever Castle or Tutbury Castle where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned, follow in the footsteps of the Tudors in the places that they knew.In the corridors of power and the courtyards of country houses we meet the passionate but tragic Kateryn Parr, Henry VIII's last wife, Lady Jane Grey the nine-day queen, and hear how Sir Walter Raleigh planned his trip to the New World. This lively and engaging book reveals the rich history of the Tudors and paints a vivid and captivating picture of what it would have been like to live in Tudor England.
The Voyages of the Princess Matilda
by Shane Spall'Tim and I both understood we had done something really stupid. We had underestimated the danger involved in going out to sea. We had no radio, compass, life raft or flares. In other words, we were a couple of idiots.'This is the story of Shane and Timothy Spall and their Dutch barge The Princess Matilda. After a summer on the Thames they head out to sea with only a road atlas and a vast amount of ignorance - and it is absolutely terrifying!On their travels, memories are triggered of childhood trips to the seaside, but also of more recent times. A decade before, Tim had been diagnosed with acute leukaemia and was given only days to live. Shocked at how life can pass you by they decided that when, and if, Tim got better, they would buy a boat.As Tim and Shane explore the coast from the Medway to Cornwall, eventually they start to wonder, could they make it out of England altogether? Could Matilda make it to ... Wales?!Taking over five years, The Voyages of The Princess Matilda is a minor epic, charting a very personal, moving and uplifting story of an everyday couple's adventure around their much loved homeland.** Winner of the British Travel Press's Narrative Travel Book of the Year Award **
Walk the Lines: The London Underground, Overground
by Mark MasonThe only way to truly discover a city, they say, is on foot. Taking this to extremes, Mark Mason sets out to walk the entire length of the London Underground - overground - passing every station on the way.In a story packed with historical trivia, personal musings and eavesdropped conversations, Mark learns how to get the best gossip in the City, where to find a pint at 7am, and why the Bank of England won't let you join the M11 northbound at Junction 5. He has an East End cup of tea with the Krays' official biographer, discovers what cabbies mean by 'on the cotton', and meets the Archers star who was the voice of 'Mind the Gap'.Over the course of several hundred miles, Mark contemplates London's contradictions as well as its charms. He gains insights into our fascination with maps and sees how walking changes our view of the world. Above all, in this love letter to a complicated friend, he celebrates the sights, sounds and soul of the greatest city on earth.
Walking Dickens’ London (Shire General Ser. #3)
by Lee JacksonWritten by the acclaimed historical novelist Lee Jackson, this book recreates the sights and sounds of Dickens' London and provides a detailed itinerary for those keen to follow in the footsteps of 'The Inimitable Boz'. Each of the eight walks conjures up forgotten scenes of London life – stage-coaches racing through the Borough; herds of cattle driven through suburban streets to reach Smithfield market; the uproar of a hanging outside Newgate Gaol – together with directions to the most atmospheric and intriguing parts of the Victorian metropolis which have survived into the twenty-first century.
Walking Home: A Poet's Journey
by Simon ArmitageIn summer 2010 Simon Armitage decided to walk the Pennine Way. The challenging 256-mile route is usually approached from south to north, from Edale in the Peak District to Kirk Yetholm, the other side of the Scottish border. He resolved to tackle it the other way round: through beautiful and bleak terrain, across lonely fells and into the howling wind, he would be walking home, towards theYorkshire village where he was born.Travelling as a 'modern troubadour' without a penny in his pocket, he stopped along the way to give poetry readings in village halls, churches, pubs and living rooms. His audiences varied from the passionate to the indifferent, and his readings were accompanied by the clacking of pool balls, the drumming of rain and the bleating of sheep. WALKING HOME describes this extraordinary, yet ordinary, journey. It's a story about Britain's remote and overlooked interior - the wildness of its landscape and the generosity of the locals who sustained him on his journey. It's about facing emotional and physical challenges, and sometimes overcoming them. It's nature writing, but with people at its heart. Contemplative, moving and droll, it is a unique narrative from one of our most beloved writers.
Walking the County High Points of England
by David BathurstAn indefatigable walker, David Bathurst has unlaced his boots to produce this unique companion to the country’s most rewarding hilltop trails, from the Pennine Way to the misty Malverns. His appreciation of the beauty and history of the British countryside and his light-hearted style will appeal to experienced and novice walkers alike.
Walking to Hollywood: Memories Of Before The Fall
by Will SelfWalking to Hollywood is a dazzling triptych - obsessive, satirical, elegiac - in which Will Self burrows down through the intersections of time, place and psyche to explore some of our deepest fears and anxieties with characteristic fearlessness and jagged humour.'Very Little' is ostensibly the account of a curative journey to Canada and the USA, but in fact the record of a nematode's progress, as the worm of obsession - with scale and packing and the 'stuff' of our lives - bores through a mind in extremesis. 'Walking to Hollywood' is an extreme satire on celebrity, in which the narrator believes that everyone he meets is played by a famous actor, and that only he can solve the mystery of who murdered the movies. 'Spurn Head' leads Self to a tormented sojourn with a madman whose house is sliding over the edge of a cliff, to a game of checkers with Death, and finally to an encounter with one of Swift's immortal Struldbruggs and a march through a tear in time itself. In Walking to Hollywood Will Self pushes memoir to the limits of invention.
Watermark: An Essay On Venice (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Joseph Brodsky'Reading Brodsky's essays is like a conversation with an immensely erudite, hugely entertaining and witty (and often very funny) interlocutor' Wall Street JournalWatermark is Joseph Brodsky's witty, intelligent, moving and elegant portrait of Venice. Looking at every aspect of the city, from its waterways, streets and architecture to its food, politics and people, Brodsky captures its magnificence and beauty, and recalls his own memories of the place he called home for many winters, as he remembers friends, lovers and enemies he has encountered. Above all, he reflects with great poetic force on how the rising tide of time affects city and inhabitants alike. Watermark is an unforgettable piece of writing, and a wonderful evocation of a remarkable, unique city. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature
When I Fell From The Sky: The True Story of One Woman's Miraculous Survival
by Juliane KoepckeOn December 24th 1971, the teenage Juliane boarded the packed flight in Peru to meet her father for Christmas. She and her mother fought to get some of the last seats available and felt thankful to have made the flight. The LANSA airplane flew into a heavy thunderstorm and went down in dense Amazon jungle hundreds of miles from civilization.She fell two miles from the sky, still strapped to her plane seat, into the jungle. She was the sole survivor among the 92 passengers, which included her mother, and Juliane s unexplainable survival has been called a modern-day miracle.With incredible courage, instinct and ingenuity, she crawled and walked alone for eleven days in the green hell of the Amazon. She survived using the skills she d learned in assisting her parents on their research trips into the jungle before coming across a loggers hut, and, with it, safety. Now she tells her fascinating story for the first time and on its 40th anniversary she shares not only the private moments of her survival and rescue but her inspiring life in the wake of the disaster.
The White Tiger: WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2008
by Aravind AdigaWINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2008Balram Halwai is the White Tiger - the smartest boy in his village. His family is too poor for him to afford for him to finish school and he has to work in a teashop, breaking coals and wiping tables. But Balram gets his break when a rich man hires him as a chauffeur, and takes him to live in Delhi. The city is a revelation. As he drives his master to shopping malls and call centres, Balram becomes increasingly aware of immense wealth and opportunity all around him, while knowing that he will never be able to gain access to that world. As Balram broods over his situation, he realizes that there is only one way he can become part of this glamorous new India - by murdering his master. The White Tiger presents a raw and unromanticised India, both thrilling and shocking - from the desperate, almost lawless villages along the Ganges, to the booming Wild South of Bangalore and its technology and outsourcing centres. The first-person confession of a murderer, The White Tiger is as compelling for its subject matter as for the voice of its narrator - amoral, cynical, unrepentant, yet deeply endearing.
The Wild Within: Climbing The World's Most Remote Mountains
by Simon YatesAll mountaineers develop differently. Some go higher, some try ever-steeper faces and others specialise in a particular range or region. I am increasingly drawn to remoteness - to places where few others have trod.' The Wild Within is the third book from Simon Yates, one of Britain's most accomplished and daring mountaineers. With his insatiable appetite for adventure and exploratory mountaineering, Yates leads unique expeditions to unclimbed peaks in the Cordillera Darwin in Tierra del Fuego, the Wrangell St-Elias ranges on the Alaskan-kon border, and Eastern Greenland. Laced with dry humour, he relates his own experience of the rapid commercialisation of mountain wilderness, while grappling with his new-found commitments as a family man. At the same time he must endure his role in the film adaptation of Joe Simpson's Touching The Void, having to relive the events of that trip to Peru for an award winning director. Yates' subsequent escape to the some of the world's most remote mountains isn't quite the experience it once was, as he witnesses first hand the advance of modern communications into the wilderness, signalled by the ubiquitous mobile phone masts appearing in once deserted mountain valleys. He is left to dwell on the remaining significance of mountain wilderness and begins a journey to rediscover his own notion of 'wild'.
Worldwide Destinations: The geography of travel and tourism
by Ma Brian Boniface Chris Cooper Robyn CooperWorldwide Destinations: The Geography of Travel and Tourism is a unique text that explores the demand, supply, organisational aspects and resources of every tourism destination in the world. This fifth edition is brought up to date with key features such as: an exploration of current issues such as climate change, economic capacity, "grey" tourism and social impacts new full colour interior, packed iwth helpful pedagogic features, including discussion points and assignements to encourage greater student involvement a companion website is now available at www.routledge.com/cw/boniface and includes interactive, multiple-choice questions for students to test their own learning The book provides thematic chapters at the beginning which detail the geographical knowledge and principles required to understand how to approach the analysis of destinations. The further division of the book into thematic and regional chapters enables the student to carry out a systematic analysis of a particular destination. Worldwide Destinations: The Geography of Travel and Tourism is an invaluable resource for studying every destination in the world as well as the demand, resources and future of the geography of tourism. This thorough guide is a must-have for any tourism student.