(Paperback)

Giles Morgan explores the origins of Freemasonry and its rituals and practices, ang goes on to examine its historical significance and postion and role within contemporary society.

(Paperback)

A depressive illness or a passing feeling Mental detachment or a precursor to genius Melancholy is a critical part of what it is to be human, yet everything from Prozac to self help psychology books seems intent on removing all signs of sadness, depression, or, quite simply, low moods from contemporary existence. Complex and...

(Paperback)

One of the most comprehensive and useful ready reckoners ever published and, with a simple guide to settling bets which explains the short cuts and systems used by the professional bet settler, there is no bet that a Gentleman should not be able to calculate himself....

(Paperback)

A Journey Through Documentary Film offers an overview of documentary history, taking readers from the early 'actualities' of pioneering non-fiction filmmakers such as Robert J. Flaherty and John Grierson, to the documentaries of Michael Moore, Errol Morris, Werner Herzog, and the directors dominating the field (and box office) today.

(Paperback)

Europe: a continent - yet also an idea. Now, as the European Union increasingly assumes control of the interests and issues of its members, Europe is closer than ever to being one entity, although that path is, as ever, fraught with problems and crises. Gordon Kerr provides an overview the history of this great and troubled continent.

(Paperback)

Nick Rennison's compelling book tells the memorable stories of people who have risked their lives by entering the white wastelands of the Arctic and the Antarctic, from the compelling tales of Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen, to those of lesser known explorers such as Elisha Kent Kane and Douglas Mawson....

(Paperback)

It began with the horse-drawn carriage and ended with the aeroplane, an era, beginning in the 1830s and ending with the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, that saw the British Empire - the largest the world had seen - dominate the world. British ingenuity in the fields of technological development and the heavy industry of its Industrial...

(Hardback)

In 1922 Howard Carter uncovered the most spectacular archaeological discovery ever made. Tutankhamun's tomb had remained hidden for more than 3000 years and its discovery caused a media sensation. In recent years research has shed new light on Tutankhamun's life and death and a new exhibition on Tutankhamun will be opening in London in Nov 2007.

(Paperback)

A Short History of China provides an absorbing introduction to more than 4,000 years of Chinese history, telling the stories of the tyrants, despots, femmes fatales, artists, warriors and philosophers who have shaped this fascinating and complex nation. It describes the amazing technological advances that her scientists and...

(Paperback)

Having conquered the world's taste buds and established itself as a staple in our daily lives, coffee has mirrored the moods and movements of society for centuries - yet, how much do we know about its history A Short History of Coffee lifts the lid on the business of coffee, as well as the pleasures that it brings its...

(Paperback)

The Cathars taught that the world is evil and must be transcended through a simple life of prayer, work, fasting and non-violence. They believed themselves to be the heirs of the true heritage of Christianity, and completely rejected the Catholic Church and all its trappings, regarding it as the church of Satan. Cathar services and...

(Paperback)

A Short History of the First World War tells the story of this cataclysmic event describing the background to war, the international rivalries and conflicts of the previous decades that led to the nations of Europe forming virtual armed camps, the relentless build-up of military and naval hardware that characterized the early...

(Paperback)

Since her debut in 1920 with The Mysterious Affair At Styles, Agatha Christie has become the chief proponent of the English village murder mystery. Although she created two enormously popular characters - the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, and the inquisitive elderly spinster and amateur sleuth Miss Jane Marple of St Mary...

(Paperback)

Barry Forshaw is acknowledged as a leading expert on crime fiction and film. Following his books on Nordic Noir, Brit Noir and Euro Noir he now tackles the largest and, some might argue, most impressive body of crime fiction from a single country, the United States, to produce the perfect reader's guide to...

(Hardback)

Beginning with the Homeric period, this work takes the reader on a journey through twelve centuries and more of Greek culture. It shows what archaeologists have revealed of the Trojan Wars and Mycenae, outlines the glories of Athens at its height and provides a narrative of the struggle between the Greeks and the mighty Persian Empire.

(Paperback)

This guide to anime offers an overview of the art form, looking at its development in Japan and its export to other cultures. It includes a history of Japanese animation from early examples to the relaunch of animation as a viable commercial entity and its enormous rise in popularity after WWII. Anime explains the difference between...

(Paperback)

Being a reviewer means writing about something you love and getting paid for it. For a lot of people it's the number 1 dream job in the media. This book explains how to seize your readers' attention and how to be witty always, fascinating most of the time and bitchy when you need to be.

(Paperback)

Since Japanese horror sensations The Ring and Audition first terrified Western audiences at the turn of the millennium, there's been a growing appreciation of Asia as the hotbed of the world's best horror movies....

(Paperback)

Leni Dipple explores how poetry might be represented in a range of contexts, cutting across cultures and languages. An esoteric collection designed for the serious reader of poetry, Between Rivers forms a simultaneously intricate and epic narrative inspired by the epistolary of Dipple's grandfather and the work of Rainer Maria Rilke....

(Paperback)

What is Blaxploitation In the early 1970s a type of film emerged that featured all-black casts, really cool soul, R 'n' B and disco music soundtracks, characters sporting big guns, big dashikis, and even bigger 'fros, and had some of the meanest, baddest attitudes to shoot their way across our screens....

(Hardback)

Recognised as having had a considerable influence on the Renaissance and an impact in the shaping modern Europe, the Byzantine Empire lasted for over a thousand years, created remarkable art and architecture and a lasting cultural and religious legacy that still has significance. This work examines both history and legacy of Byzantine Empire.

(Hardback)

The publication of The Origin of Species in 1859 was the culmination of more than twenty years of work by Charles Darwin and the ideas he presented in it would lead to a fundamental change in the way we think about life on earth. Evolution, as it came to be known, described how the extraordinary variety of life could develop...

(Paperback)

Movies have constantly pushed at the boundaries of sexual representation, outraging censors, transgressing taboos and opening up formerly forbidden realms of sensual pleasure. Whether through an exploration of our dreamiest fantasies or our darkest desires, films have expanded our repertoire of erotic images and challenged who we are as...

(Paperback)