GIFT BOOKS

Jane Austen's scalpel disinters the motives of her characters, and though her age is so remote, her insights strike a modern note. At Winchester you'll find her bones; her books are all in Waterstone's. Alfred the Great, Robert the Bruce, Francis Drake, Christopher Wren, Elizabeth Fry, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Emmeline Pankhurst, Ernest Shackleton, Agatha Christie, J. K. Rowling... What do they all have in common? They're all great Brits, and their works and achievements are celebrated in charming verse along with many more in this entertaining book. Muirden has regaled us before with rhyming romps through British history. Now he presents us with "100 Great Brits"; witty and erudite, this is the perfect gift to illuminate and amuse.

ISBN: 9781840246117

"If you can learn to lift your ribs right out of your waist, and to let them expand outwards and inwards when breathing, you will soon develop that "upward buoyant poise" which is the secret of grace and which would bring less drudgery and more joy to the daily dusting, bedmaking, picture straightening, and all the dozens of things which go towards making your home beautiful'. A classic piece of 1940s publishing from B. T. Batsford (originally published 1949) reissued to inform and delight all readers about the housewife's lot as Britain emerged from the war. Although the war-time emphasis on making do is still paramount, we see glimpses of a new world of 'luxuries' with 'Washing and Ironing with Electricity' and 'Making a Modern Divan Bed'. Advice on every aspect of the housewife's life is given, from household chores to useful hobbies for themselves and wholesome ones for their children. Choose from: Arranging the menus - Carpet sweeping; Hobbies for housewives (leather work, basketry and pewter modelling); How to make a pouffe; Physical culture (Irish jig in front of the window in the morning); Cleaning gloves; Care of the complexion and hair; Hat wardrobe; Repairing and binding carpets; and, toys from matchboxes. With dozens of diagrams, patterns and instructions, this book is not only a delightful look at the past but can be used for reference even now: very much the intention of the authors more than 60 years ago. These 101 suggestions are, by turn, funny, charming and useful, but all are a fantastic insight into a woman's life and aspirations after the watershed of the war.

ISBN: 9780713490565

This is a delightful piece of wartime publishing from B. T. Batsford (originally published 1940) reissued to inform and delight all readers about life on the home front during World War II. The make-do-and-mend ethos helped win the war, from knitting balaclava helmets for the navy to making croquet games for the floor and table for blackout days. This original 1940 publication has 101 suggestions for things to do during Britain's darkest hour. It reveals a practicality and ingenuity that we hope lives on.... The 101 suggestions include: Home-made working toys; Using up scraps of metal and wood; Croquet for the table and floor; Puzzles in cardboard; Toys in wool and felt; Wartime reading; Meatless dishes; Waterless cooking; Knitting projects; The garden in wartime; Lamp shades for the blackout; Economizing artificial light; and, Let us tidy up. With dozens of diagrams, patterns and instructions, this book is not only a delightful look at the past but can be used for reference even now: very much the intention of the authors more than 60 years ago. The suggestions are, by turn, funny, charming and useful, but are a fantastic insight into a nation's psyche.

ISBN: 9780713490572

Have you ever wondered why most books of quotations are stuffed full of rather pedestrian quotes by people you've never heard of? It's a shame because a really good quotation book, one which gathered the truest and funniest insights of the best minds, and organised them into 250 subjects, from ambition to worry, (or from artichokes to woodpeckers), a book which offered you a useful take on almost every situation life throws at you (from the death of your child's hamster to the unified theory of everything), a sourcebook of wise one-loners, of knock-out jokes, of drole asides and heartfelt statements of truth and beauty, a practical handbook of interestingness , well, that would be worth having. And, guess what? Those thoughtful gentlemen at QI have come up with one. Five years of learning how to avoid the dull stuff have left the QI team in a uniquely good position to deliver this elusive holy grail: the big, useful, funny and really very good book of quotations.

ISBN: 9780571233724

"If this country were ever at war the target of the enemy's bombers would be the staunchness of the people at home. We all hope and work to prevent war but, while there is risk of it, we cannot afford to neglect the duty of preparing ourselves and the country for such an emergency". - Samuel Hoare, March 1938. During the late 1930s it was finally realised that war with Hitler's Germany was a major possibility. As the armed forces began their re-arming, the Home Front was not neglected. In the intervening twenty years since the end of the First World War, war had changed for the worst. Aircraft had progressed and had become potent fighting machines, capable of flying huge distances with large payloads of bombs. The realities of 'Total War' and of the 'Blitz' were almost upon Britain and "Air Raid Precautions" was sent out to almost every home in the land. Filled with useful advice, much of which was to become second nature to those in our industrial heartland and large cities, "Air Raid Precautions" became a classic of wartime reading, so much so that Britain's "Air Raid Precautions" was printed in its entirety, with no changes, for the American, New Zealand and Australian household

ISBN: 9780752444703

Mistakes, mishaps, cock-ups - they just aren't given the recognition they deserve. They make life interesting and human beings (some more than others) have a genuine flair for them. So why does history only record the world's dull and worthy achievements? "Annus Horribilis" sets the record straight by celebrating good old-fashioned failures. From the man whose spectacular escape from prison was spoiled when he was eaten by a crocodile to the husband who choked to death on his own wife, via several exploding whales, numerous celebrity meltdowns and countless predictions that proved to be wholly inaccurate, "Annus Horribilis" proves once and for all, that there's no success like failure.

ISBN: 9780719524707

Death comes to us all, but never in so pleasing a way as now. As a Dodo is a satirical compilation of faux obituaries to make you wipe tears of laughter from your eyes as you bid farewell to all things lost. From Britney's hair and the comedy double act of Bush and Blair to Prince Harry's bad-boy reputation, nothing is safe from the scathing wit of the award-winning blogsters. Speaking ill of the dead has never been so much fun!

ISBN: 9781840246025

"Best of British" is a celebration of the nation's greatest 100 sporting heroes, from Henry VIII to Red Rum, Roy of the Rovers to Torvill and Dean. Jon Henderson has combed through the annals of our glorious and not so glorious past to bring us the geniuses and the eccentrics, the national treasures and the villains who together have shaped our present. Trueman and W. G., Best and Edwards, racing drivers, jockeys, rowers - just what does it take to make a sporting superhero? Hendo's 100 reveals all. Opinionated and provocative, his witty character studies - accompanied by stylish illustrations - capture the essence of his subjects' greatness, re-evaluating the famous and rescuing the forgotten. But when there's a cast of thousands to choose from, and hundreds of years of history to explore, who will make the cut for the most heroic of the heroic? Find out, in "Best of British".

ISBN: 9780224082488

Why did Isaac Newton invent the cat flap? How did the first mousetrap come about? Did Thomas Crapper really invent the flushing toilet? What accident led to the invention of the Microwave oven? Why did it take nearly 20 years to make sliced bread? From the moment the alarm clock wakes us in the morning until the time we switch the light off at night, we are surrounded by things without which our lives would be impossible. Kettles, microwaves, televisions, cars, mobile phones and credit cards - the list is endless. Yet how often do we consider how such miniature wonders of our lives came about, who invented them and why? The answers are so often incredibly interesting. In this delightful volume, best-selling author Harry Oliver reveals the most diverting and amusing stories that lie behind the objects and inventions we take for granted, from household items to the technology that fills our world. Everything around us was born from an idea, and as you read the pages in this book, the ordinary will soon appear rather more extraordinary than it did before.

ISBN: 9781844544745

'No people in Europe are as clumsy and awkward with their hands as the Portuguese'. In the middle of the 1800s, Mrs Favell Lee Mortimer set out to write an ambitious guide to all the nations on Earth. There were just three problems. She had never set foot outside Shropshire. She was horribly misinformed about virtually every topic she turned her attention to. And she was prejudiced against foreigners. The result was an unintentionally hilarious masterpiece: 'People who are dainty must not come to Norway.' 'If the Siberians' taste in dress is laughable, their taste in food is horrible.' 'British America <Actinic:Variable Name = 'Canada'/>'s Lake Superior is so immense, that Ireland might be bathed in it; that is, if islands could be bathed.' In "The Clumsiest People in Europe", Todd Pruzan has gathered together a selection of Mrs Mortimer's finest moments, celebrating the woman who turned ignorance into an art form.


ISBN: 9781905211753

Most of us either have a mother-in-law or will be one, and it's not a role most women take on gladly. Mothers-in-law are traditionally the butt of jokes, declared to be nasty, possessive and interfering - but are they really as bad as this reputation suggests? Luisa Dillner looks beyond the stereotype of the mother-in-law and finds they come in many different varieties, from loveable and loyal to lonely, ferocious and scheming. She traces their history, from Ancient Greece and Rome to modern times, through fairy tales and traditions, in this celebration of this most complicated of relationships.

ISBN: 9780571238194

An anthology and miscellany of everything an Englishman should know: From Austen to Wordsworth Jerusalem to the Scout's Honour Kings and Queens of England to Land of Hope and Glory Savile Row tailors to Jermyn St Shirt Makers Tying a Windsor knot to making a pot of tea Victoria sponge to fish pie The rules of cricket to Gilbert and Sullivan operas

"The School of Health" is a forgotten classic of the early 1900s that contains at its heart a 'practical course in physical culture' designed to keep a chap in tip-top condition without even requiring him to pop his shorts on. "Exercises for Gentlemen" offers up excerpts from this physical fitness course along with the original illustrations. What results is both an evocative glimpse of times gone by, and an exercise regime ideally suited to the modern gent with neither time nor inclination to disrobe when he steps from the busy office.There is detailed guidance on everything from knee bends and arm bends, to correct standing. The author also addresses such notions as hydrotherapy and enemas, though you may be relieved (or not) to hear that with the latter he considers the use of four or more quarts of water to be a 'reprehensible practice.' A daily regime of a mere 15 minutes of besuited exercise is guaranteed to: 'Reduce undue fullness at the waist, square the shoulders, round out the arms, improve leg development, and, in short, make a more graceful, strong, and symmetrical man.'This title offers original illustrations and text from the 1900 'physical culture' course. It offers an exercise regime which is ideal for the modern gent with no inclination to disrobe.

This is a practical guide to the Good Old Days. Rediscover the lost world of traditional household crafts with 'the grand master of self-sufficiency' ("Kitchen Garden") John Seymour. Master tried and trusted methods that have been honed over the centuries and learn to make butter and cheese, embroider, keep bees, decorate your home, and more. As Seymour himself once said "we must fill our homes and our lives with beautiful things again and cast out the mass-produced rubbish. This book shows that such things are possible." It contains all the practical advice you need to produce what you need for yourself. PUBLISHED PRICE £12.99

ISBN: 9781405322225

Whatever happened to the love letter? Has the written word lost its charm in our digitally obsessed, speed-dating age? This title contains pieces that remind us of how enticing words can be and allow us a glimpse of what love looks like in the twenty-first century.

Whether you care for a rambling country garden or a modest town plot, "Garden Secrets" offers a variety of seasonal hints and practical tips to help you make the most of your outside space. For those who are inspired by the year-round beauty of the Trust's gardens, here is a chance to learn from the experts and benefit from their years of experience. This illustrated book includes advice for urban gardeners working with small plots or container planting, larger country gardens that may include lawn space and those perhaps looking to grow vegetables.

ISBN: 9781905400355

The recipe for Gentleman's Relish has remained a secret since it was first invented by John Osborn in 1828 and no doubt some, whose taste buds recoil at this intensely salty blend of anchovies, butter, herbs and spices are happy for it to remain secret. But as 'one man's meat is another man's poison', the book "Gentleman's Relish" is packed with a range of exotic, strange and downright unexpected English culinary oddities. From Piccalilli and marmite through Bombay duck, Brown Windsor Soup to Sloe Gin and Samphire, the book has histories, recipes and anecdotes on a range of eccentric eats that delight the taste buds of the English. This is an essential reference for anyone who relishes sampling the exotic and the unexpected.

ISBN: 9781905400553

With hundreds of funny one-liners that'll have you and your caddy chuckling down the fairway, this is the perfect companion for the golf-obsessed, and an ideal gift for the newly converted. So put your best ball forward, tee off with "Golfing Wit" and you'll be sure to get a hole in one. And when you buy everyone a drink at the nineteenth hole, you'll have the perfect quips for the occasion.

ISBN: 9781840246216

Sooner or later, you will hear those dreaded words, "Granny, I'm bored!" Never fear! Help is at hand... Let this Companion be your guide... Packed with seasonal activities and pastimes, The Good Granny Companion contains great ideas both to brighten up ordinary days and make those Very Important Days truly memorable. Whether she is reminding us of the rules of a classic card game or the perfect bedtime story, or providing an easy recipe for a spectacular birthday cake, Granny Jane brings to bear her trademark good humour and clear, practical style. This is a book to be kept and cherised, to inspire grandmothers throughout the year.

ISBN: 9781906021443

It was May 1940, and Hitler stood on the cliffs at Calais and eyed up his next conquest - England! There was a call to arms that saw the founding of the Home Guard, a motley collection of men, poorly armed, many too old to fight in the war. The Home Guard was untried in action, often without weapons or training and they were Britain's last ditch defence against the Germans. But all was not lost and, over the period of a few months, this rag-tag group was armed, uniformed and trained using the "Home Guard Manual". Taught basic fieldcraft, how to survive in the open, how to destroy tanks, ambush the invaders, use weapons of varying sorts, make boobytraps, read maps and send signals, the fledgling volunteer was turned into a veritable fighting machine...or was he just another member of Dad's Army? Read the manual and find out.

ISBN: 9780752444710

First published in 1916, A.L. Fowler's book of household tips is an indispensable guide to all those Kim and Aggy moments - from how to clean a dirty clothesline to removing paint from window panes, and how to get rid of a whole host of stains, from rust and indelible ink to blood and mildew. This delightful little volume also reveals how to rid yourself of those annoying household pests, including ants, beetles and flies, how to remove odours from your hands and how to use natural products to clean floors, windows and cooking utensils. Fowler also shows the twentieth-twentieth century housewife how to perform miracles in the kitchen, from how to make pastry extra flaky to the quickest way to peel carrots and how to remove burns from a cake.

ISBN: 9780752443447

A man should know certain things in his life to be a man. He had to use his callused hands - and the knowledge passed down through the generations - to carve a homestead from the wilderness and to feed his family by hunting and trapping animals or coaxing crops from the earth. But today, as men trade hammer and ax for computer and fax, and a cabin in the woods for a place in the 'burbs, these manly skills are in danger of disappearing. To restore men's rightful heritage, Denis Boyles and Gregg Stebben, the coauthors of "A Man's Life: The Complete Instructions", have compiled a priceless treasury of forgotten lore and rustic hobbies that we have lost.Culled from turn-of-the-century publication and old scouting-type manuals, this guide is written in our grandfathers' language, with their sensibility and wisdom. Since the outdoors is one place where almost all good advice is old advice, the focus is on a man's life lived out-doors camping, hunting, and fishing. "How to Catch a Pig" guarantees a rediscovery of the wonders of the great outdoors for even the most terminally modern among us.

ISBN: 9780061688492

What constitutes a village? What is the significance of the maypole? What was the true purpose of a village green? What is a 'moot hall'? What is the origin of lich-gates? What was the real role of a yeoman? How come whole villages have disappeared over the centuries? This book reveals the answers and provides all the tools a village detective will need. Village history, points out the author, is embedded in the village landscape. Village stories can, therefore, be 'read': this book will reveal how. Arranging the book thematically, chapters cover ancient villages; the village green (including maypoles, pubs and ponds); the village church; cottages and farmsteads; village architecture (including lock-ups and market crosses); village casualties; fishing villages; clachans and fermtouns; and, villages of the modern era. Drawing on dozens of real villages as examples, the author, an expert on the landscape, matches up popular images and perceptions with the realities of old village life and history. Illustrating his theories with photographs, maps and drawings, he shows how amateur enthusiasts can pursue local village history with fascinating results. Covering the whole of Britain, he also points out key regional differences - for example, why villages in Scotland follow a different pattern to villages in England. This is a fascinating book that will delight lovers of local history everywhere.

ISBN: 9780091920111

What is like to be another person? Why is stupidity not painful? Is it possible for a human ever to do a selfless act? Do chimpanzees really enjoy eating bananas? How can an exception ever prove a rule? Everyone confronts philosophical issues, so why shouldn't everyone have access to a philosopher? In this wise and witty book, forty philosophers from universities around the world answer real readers' most difficult questions. They address dilemmas and queries on every subject, from adultery and the afterlife, to ethics and existentialism, God, sex, suicide and war. They even address the question, 'Why can't philosophers agree?' This is an entertaining and jargon-free exploration of the philosophy of everyday life.

ISBN: 9780340923887

This is the ultimate journey around England. Christopher Winn takes us to each county, to see where history happened, where people and ideas were born, where dreams took flight and where men and women now rest from their labours.

This is a fully illustrated edition of this unique and fascinating storehouse of accumulated wisdom; from health tips and kitchen tricks to gardening know-how, and even predicting the weather. Ruth Binney has brought together a fascinating variety of traditional sayings, superstitions and axioms and explains whether, and why, they still work today. Before dismissing a well-known proverb as an old wives' tale, consult "Wise Words and Country Ways" and discover that it's never too late to learn from experience. Charming illustrations throughout, captivating content, attractive format and a great price make this the perfect gift for anyone interested in country life.

ISBN: 9780715327760

"Kick the Bucket and Swing the Cat" takes a humorous tour through the fascinating, sometimes tragic, and often surprising history of the English language and its etymology. Author, humorist and word-sleuth Alex Games uncovers the trends, innovations and scandals that have shaped the meanings of our most popular words and expressions, from Chaucer to Internet jargon and Ancient Greek to American slang. Who was the original Jack the Lad, Gordon Bennett or Bloody Mary? Where do dodgy geezers and hooligans come from? What are skeldering, dithering and sabre-rattling? This amusing but rigorously researched account of English words and their origins combines the findings of the major BBC TV series and the nationwide Wordhunt, and is an entertaining treasure trove for English-language lovers everywhere.

ISBN: 9781846076107

Laugh in the face of death! That's what this bold, brash and often irreverent collection of epitaphs encourages readers to do. Every fascinating quote presents an unexpectedly cheeky perspective on the tragic, like this one from Uniontown, New Jersey: "Here lies the body of Jonathan Blake; stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake." Some come from the gravestones of the famous: Bette Davis' proudly notes that "she did it the hard way." Each thought-provoking line makes an indelible contribution to our folklore.

ISBN: 9781402729690

This is an address book featuring floral illustrations by artist Pierre-Joseph Redoute [1759-1840] from the collection of the New York Botanical Garden.

PRICE INCLUDES VAT

ISBN: 9780811859097

This is a twelve-month datebook for keeping track of friends' and family members' birthdays featuring floral illustrations by artist Pierre-Joseph Redoute [1759-1840] from the collection of the New York Botanical Garden.

PRICE INCLUDES VAT

ISBN: 9780811859134

"Life's Too Short to Drink Bad Wine" is the latest addition to our "Born to Shop" hardback gift book series. Produced in a modern style of pastel watercolours and providing humorous, sophisticated sentiments, this book is the perfect gift for the female of the species.

ISBN: 9781841612751

Mr McGreevy's "Absolute Howlers" is a side-splitting collection of the most earnest and mangled attempts at the English language made by generations of schoolchildren. From the historical - 'Rome was overthrown by invasions of the Huns, Visigoths and Osteopaths' - to the religious - 'Solomon had 300 wives and 700 cucumbers'; the R-rated - 'As he walked through the room he heard the sound of heavy breeding' - to the unintentionally profound - 'Matrimony is a place where souls suffer for time on account of their sins' - under Mr McGreevy's tutelage nothing is safe, or sacred. Be they funny, irreverent or just plain silly, Mr McGreevy's "Absolute Howlers" are guaranteed to have you weeping with laughter. But be warned: don't read too many in one sitting, you may just do yourself a permanent injury.

For anyone who has ever had a problem with dangling modifiers and split infinitives, or for those who have no idea what these things even are, "My Grammar and I" provides all the answers. Taking you on a tour of the English language, through a veritable minefield of rules and conditions for the grammatically unaware, and highlighting the common pitfalls that every English language user faces on a day to day basis, "My Grammar and I" also offers amusing examples of awful grammar, while steering you in the direction of grammatical greatness. Factual and witty, "My Grammar and I" is the perfect gift for all English language sticklers for Christmas 2008.

ISBN: 9781843173106

The direction history takes has often hinged on tiny turns of chance or accident. Things that happen just at the wrong time. Small incidents that end up having big consequences. For example, Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the peak of the Cuban Missile crisis when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel."Napoleon's Haemorrhoids" is all about the small events that make you stop and think how it all might have turned out - luck, coincidence, fate: the tiny ripples that have caused big waves in history's waters. Did you know: the Panama Canal would have been built in Nicaragua had it not been for a picture on one of its postage stamps...?Covering not just the great sweeps of political history and war, but chance discoveries that led to great inventions and scientific progress, the accidents that led to feats of literature and film, little slips that gave away big crimes, slip-ups that altered sporting history, and a medley of chance beginnings, this little book is a treasure trove of fascinating facts.If you've ever wondered why history turned out the way it has, and thought there must be some big design behind it - think again. ..Before every great battle Napoleon would survey the battle field on horseback. Before the Battle of Waterloo painful haemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse...It includes hundreds of other fascinating and curious anecdotes about the small incidents that had BIG consequences throughout history in many fields. Phil Mason has the largest private collection in the UK of cuttings and books chronicling the weird and wonderful.

ISBN: 9781906217822

All men are disgusting. FACT. Let's face it - boys don't like pretty things. In fact, the smellier and more putrid something is, the better...that's why boys like bottom burps and scampy fries. So this book is stuffed full of the most hilarious and disgusting cartoons "The Odd Squad" could find...so disgusting in fact, that we've caught a horrendous disease which has probably infiltrated every page of this book. Hope you're wearing gloves whilst reading this. Oops...too late!!

ISBN: 9781841612737

We may all know that dandelions make us wet the bed, and that stewed prunes are a cure for constipation, but how many of us were aware that a poultice of chicken manure is a remedy for baldness? Or that eel liver will aid a difficult labour? The woman healer is as old as history. For millennia she has been doctor, nurse and midwife, and even in the age of modern medicine her wisdom is handed down in the form of old wives' tales. Using extensive research into archives and original texts, and numerous conversations with women in city and countryside, Mary Chamberlain presents a stimulating challenge to orthodox medicine and an illuminating history of female wisdom which goes back to the earliest times. What are old wives' tales? Where do they come from? Do they really work? These questions, and many more, are answered in this fascinating compendium of remedies and cures handed down from mother to daughter from the beginning of time.

ISBN: 9780752439914

Do you know how to make a raft of logs, find your way by the north star, or bake biscuits on a stone? From what to wear in camp to how to identify poisonous plants, making flapjacks in the outdoors to preparing a tourniquet, "An Outdoor Book for Girls" is the perfect manual for all those tomboys out there who would rather be on the trail than tied to the kitchen sink. First published in 1915, in an era before televisions and video games, "An Outdoor Book for Girls" was an indispensable guide for any young lady wanting to make the most of the great outdoors. With sections on the identification of poisonous plants, telling apart different animal footprints, useful knots and how to tie them, some Sunday games for a quiet day in camp and even making an outdoor dressing table, this valuable little book will help outdoorsy girls to regain their spirit of adventure and experience the thrill of the wind in their hair. No boys allowed.

ISBN: 9780752443140

"Peter the Cat", Aurum's 2006 collection of the most eccentric and unexpected obituaries from "Wisden Cricketer's Almanack", was a very successful first collaboration with "Wisden", making a delightful and elegant little hardback that has already sold over 13,000 copies. Here is the follow-up. At the back of every "Wisden Cricketers' Almanack" is an "Index of Unusual Occurrences", referencing all the strange and indeed surreal things reported throughout its 1600 pages. "Man in Osama Bin Laden Mask Stops Play", for example, or "Ball lost in umpire's trousers", or "Six smashes spectator's cornet", or even "Glamorghan defeat blamed on seagulls". And all these examples, plus two dozen more, just from the 2006 edition! Now Gideon Haigh, increasingly acclaimed as the best living cricket writer, has compiled a selection of "Wisden's" best and funniest Unusual Occurrences since its earliest days in the last century. It will be another perfect gift at Christmas and for the tea interval at the Test Match. The key features include: the follow-up to "Peter the Cat", Aurum's first successful collaboration with "Wisden"; trademark yellow cover with Wisden logo and elegant lino-cut illustration; also edited by Gideon Haigh, one of cricket's finest writers; another perfect Christmas gift book at an impulse-buy price; and a handsomely designed and beautifully produced book.

ISBN: 9781845132569

This is a classic re-issue of poems written by Abigail, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel aged six. She has composed verse since she was a tiny puppy and feels that this small collection of her work might be of interest to other dogs and their owners. This selection of Abigail's poems is perceptive and enchanting, revealing the variety and richness of a dog's life: the discomfort of a visit to the vet; first love for a fickle Labrador; and her favourite reading matter and what she would like to become when she grows up.

ISBN: 9781840245882

With chapters on husbands and wives, age, luck, wealth and many more, these sayings reveal about their countries of origin, and about human nature.

ISBN: 9781840246193

If ever there was a book to make you switch off your television set, 'The Dangerous Book for Boys' was it. And now, from the same authors, comes 'The Pocket Book of Things to Do' - packed with exciting and fun things to keep you entertained all summer. 'The Dangerous Book for Boys' was the book of the year in 2006, inspiring a newfound passion for adventure, fun and all things 'dangerous'. Now, the authors have expanded their knowledge of all things fun to do and have come up with the fantastic 'Pocket Book of Things to Do'. With everything from how to win at poker, how to make a paper hat and how to skim stones to how to tie a knot to how to write a note in secret ink, the Pocket Book will appeal to men and boys alike, not forgetting the women in their lives!

ISBN: 9780007253968

Russell Ash has trawled parish registers and censuses going back 900 years to compile the first ever complete book of breathtakingly unlikely-but-true British names. It features an incredible and diverse range of totally genuine names, evoking everything from body parts (Dick Brain), sex (Matilda Suckcock), illness (Barbaray Headache) and toilet functions (Peter Piddle) to food (Hazel Nutt), animals (Minty Badger) and places (Phila Delphia). Every single one has been checked for authenticity and its source is given, as well as extra notes where further fascinating illumination is possible. The book provides a rigorously researched yet laugh-out-loud overview of Britain's eccentricity through the ages. And in this fully revised, expanded and enhanced paperback edition, it is no exaggeration to say that it's Pottier, Fartier and Knobbier than ever before.



OCTOBER 2008

Britain and its people have a long and noble history that is now over 2000 years old. Like all the best stories it is one of blood, death, love, sex and betrayal, yet also a tale of courage, honour, pride, skill, invention, endurance and, sometimes, just pure luck. "Remember, Remember" is a history of Britain in bitesize chunks, containing all of the important dates, people and events that we should know, reminding us of what we've forgotten from school and perhaps teaching us something new.Go back in time to: sneer at Bad King John as he is forced to sign the Magna Carta; suffer the agonies of the black death; charge with Henry V against the French at Agin court; see the birth of the Industrial Revolution; watch the coronation of the nineteen-old-princess who gave us the term 'Victorian'; and take heart from the courage and endurance of the men who fought and endured the horrors of both world wars. Concise, authoritative yet wonderfully entertaining, "Remember, Remember" makes history interesting and accessible for everyone once again.

ISBN: 9781843173199

The latest in "Frances Lincoln's" series of "RHS Treasuries", this charming anthology brings together a wealth of poetry and prose from a broad range of writers, from the Roman natural historian Pliny and the Chinese poet Po Chu-I, to Sir Walter Scott and Robert Fortune, to twentieth-century poets such as Seamus Heaney. The poems and extracts are illustrated with botanical prints from the remarkable collection of artworks at the Royal Horticultural Society's Lindley Library, acknowledged as the world's finest horticultural library. It is an ideal gift book, to appeal to lovers of literature, gardening and nature. It will showcase some of the most beautiful artwork from the enormous range of material in the RHS Lindley Library. It is a fourth volume in our successful series of "RHS Treasuries".

ISBN: 9780711227361

What phrase enrages you most? "How are you spelling that?" perhaps, or, "issues around"? When the question came up in the Letters page of "The Daily Telegraph", hundreds of readers nominated the ones they loathed, and thousands more were posted on line. Provoked beyond endurance, Christopher Howse and Richard Preston compiled "The Infuriating Phrasebook", drawing on written and spoken insults to the intelligence from television, radio and the press. Infuriating and entertaining, this A-Z lexicon covers politicians' cliches, business jargon; shop assistants' rudenesses; public-service padding; menu madness and idiotic innovations. "The Infuriating Phrasebook" is sharply illustrated by the "Telegraph's" award-winning cartoonist Matt. All right - You all right there? A patronising enquiry made by nurses to old ladies already humiliated by being addressed by their Christian names. It is also used by shop assistants to customers who have been waiting a long time for service. Blue-sky thinking - Species of daydreaming for which businesses are usually billed by the hour. It can lead to thinking the unthinkable or saying the unsayable <Actinic:Variable Name = 'qv'/>. Enjoy! - An order issued by waiters or baristas <Actinic:Variable Name = 'qv'/> after they have delivered yours. First invented by - The second inventor is deservedly less well known. I'll let you go now - But you'll buttonhole me later. Inappropriate - Used by officials who want to blame people for behaviour that is not illegal or forbidden. The patient used an inappropriate tone when raising issues around ward cleanliness. Jus - gravy. Pan-fried - instead of being fried in an old dustbin-lid. Serving suggestion - On the label of a prepared meal, a warning that the plate, tablecloth, and accompanying boar's head shown in the picture are not included in the small plastic container. Spiral out of control - Residents feared that costs for the leisure complex would spiral out of control. When aeroplanes spiral out of control they go downwards. Spiralling costs seldom do the same. See also: Escalate. You're a star - Excessive and therefore patronising term of thanks for the performance of a routine duty. See also: legend, hero.

ISBN: 9781845296759

This charming little handbook was first published in the 1950s as an aid for stewards entering the Merchant Navy. It contained notes on the necessary etiquette and skills required to serve passengers on the great ocean liners of the day, whether in first class or the emerging tourist class.Packed with all sorts of fascinating facts, tips and hints and supported by diagrammatic drawings of table settings from breakfast to dinner, this will appeal not only to former ship stewards reminiscing on days gone by, but also to anyone who is part of the burgeoning cruise industry, where people can still enjoy this level of service. Cookery historians will also find much of interest in the menus of the time that are listed together with the handy glossary of French terms at the back of the book. Finally, this is also the book for anyone who ever wondered how to get a drinking glass clean and smudge free: 'Glasses should be washed in warm water, rinsed in cold, dried with a linen cloth (linen does not leave fluff on the glass in the same way as cotton).' or correctly uncork and serve a bottle of champagne. Its nostalgic impact is further reinforced by the inclusion of the adverts that appeared in the first edition, from Sun-Pat peanuts to Old Charlie Rum.

ISBN: 9781844860562

Sometimes all a woman needs is a great pair of shoes, and sometimes chocolate is the swiftest route to happiness. Suitable as a gift for mothers and for women of all ages, this work presents a collection of drawings. It is written by the author of "The Lady and the Chocolate", "The Shoes of Salvation", "Love" and "The Wonderful Man".

Admit it. Whether it's shopping while drunk, eating ice cream as a late-night treat or checking your blog for hits, all of us have a list of secret sins. This book is the definitive collection of things from modern life we secretly love but never own up to loving. So now is the time to own up to your flaws. To help you along the way, there is a fun interactive section where you can tick which secret sins you have indulged in...be honest now. Secret sins include: sleeping in taxis; celebrity sex tapes; second breakfasts; chucking a sickie; fake tan; yorkshire pudding - from a packet; bog books; personalized number plates; teeth whitening; wine-in-a-box; and the Dutch oven.

ISBN: 9780719521768

With questions ranging from the deliciously unexpected (Who's the only person in literary history both to have been shortlisted for the Booker Prize and to have played a girlfriend of Ken Barlow's in "Coronation Street"?) to the reassuringly canonical (Dickens's fourth novel was the first he'd published not to have the main character's name in the title. What was it?), this fabulous compendium of literary knowledge is the perfect gift for all book lovers.

ISBN: 9780571239375

A recent survey found that Brussels sprouts were the most hated vegetable in Britain, yet though the sprout is often the butt of the jokes around the Christmas dinner table, there are actually many things to love about the lowly sprout. Sprouts are full of vitamins, folic acid and dietary fibre - and consuming them doesn't have to be a chore. There are an abundance of recipes new and old championing the use of sprouts in cooking, from the quirky Brussels Sprouts in Beer to the rather more stylish Brussels Sprout Gratin. If you still can't bring yourself round to the idea of consuming a Brussels sprout, why not try your hand at Brussels sprouts indoor boules, or making them into original, conversation-stopping jewellery? Whatever you choose to do with your sprouts, "The Sprout Book" uncovers a whole new world of sprout-related pleasure in this highly eccentric (and embarrassingly flatulent) gift book.

ISBN: 9781843172901

On its first appearance in 1957, Hugh and Graham Greene's "The Spy's Bedside Book" provoked a storm of interest, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, 100 copies were bought by East German Intelligence. This classic anthology, with a new introduction by the former head of MI5, Stella Rimington, includes stories by some of the great writers on spying and many practitioners, including Ian Fleming and John Buchan, Sir Robert Baden-Powell and Belle Boyd, Walter Schellenberg, Sir Paul Dukes and Vladimir Petrov, and from the golden age of mystery and suspense, William Le Queux and E. Phillips Oppenheim.There are also some unexpected figures: William Blake, D.H. Lawrence and Thomas Mann, all suspected of spying in three great wars. How can you hide messages in a boiled egg? Why should you always put pepper in your vodka when in Russia? Answers to these questions and much more can be found in this thrilling collection, which will enthral readers once again with its tales of espionage from a bygone era.

ISBN: 9780091920616

What do you call the groove that runs between your nose and your mouth? What is the name for the stringy bits of a banana? What's the right word for the long white exhaust trail of an aeroplane? What is that thingummy called? The world is full of thingummies - things we ought to know the names for, probably think we do know the names for, but when it comes to it we don't. "The Thingummy" is a lighthearted but informative look at everything from a-line skirts to umbrellas. It provides us with the real names for many of those elusive thingummies complete with the history, myth and anecdote behind them. Grasp "The Thingummy" and you'll never grasp helplessly for words again.

ISBN: 9780385614566

Feeling poor because of recession? Feeling guilty because of global warming? Feeling like you'd quite like to tighten your belt, but aren't quite ready to embrace DIY macrame handbags? No need to panic. Put down the economy mince and buy this book instead - it's a blueprint for living beautifully while saving money and easing your conscience. India Knight (no slouch when it comes to extravagance) shows you how even a dedicated consumer and child of the more-is-more 1980s can mend her ways, embrace the New Thrift, and find her life - and bank balance - dramatically improved in the process.She will show you: how to make wonderful dinners with very little money; how to grow things; how to make jellies, chutneys and pickles and how to can vegetables and fruit; how to dress on a budget and still look fabulous - and what to do with your mum's old sewing machine; how to make the most of living in a community, from borrowing preserving pans (that's right, we're making jam) to starting a toy-swapping group; how to holiday in new and imaginative ways - with only the merest whisper of a carbon footprint; how to make your own fun, from crafts to making presents, from parties to affordable pampering; and, finally how to manage your money - because, frankly, it's about time we all got a grip. Above all, India Knight will show you that saving money and tightening your belt doesn't have to feel like a penance - it can be both fun and glamorous (and a great deal more satisfying than buying the latest It-bag). Try it - you have nothing to lose but your overdraft.

ISBN: 9781905490370

NOVEMBER 2008

"What the Doctor Smokes" celebrates a time of innocence, when advertisers could tell us any old garbage and we'd believe it.From the minor untruth - typewriters that make the working day so much fun (really?) - to the amazing claim - cigarettes that are recommended by doctors and electric corsets (ouch!) that promise the perfect figure - and featuring some that can't ever have seemed a good idea - such as a chin reducing head cage - this book contains 85 of the most outrageous adverts ever to have been thought up by ad execs.Hilarious and shocking, "What the Doctor Smokes" reminds us not to believe everything we're sold!

ISBN: 9781845379803

"Why Not Catch 21?" is an expansion on Gary Dexter's long-running "Sunday Telegraph" column. Each of its fifty chapters focuses on the origins of one of the great titles of world literature, presenting a bite-sized piece of literary history, with fascinating details of the work's genesis and composition. The emphasis is on titles that are literally inexplicable without this background knowledge. Do you know: What was Wordsworth's Prelude a prelude to? Who was the original Jeeves? Why A Clockwork Orange and not A Robot Banana? Read "Why Not Catch 21?" and find out.

ISBN: 9780711227965

Poppy is the epitome of cool, wondering as she varnishes her toenails, if she should have a little dolphin tattooed on her ankle. Besides being long, books are not quite so cool - what she really needs are her friend's notes. Downloading songs on to her iPod and reading "Hello!" instead of doing her A-level revision, Poppy fobs off her despairing parents by telling them that Google's ace for research on As You Like It. Whatever: she'll get an A. Social Stereotypes has itself just become a teenager and in this new collection Victoria Mather and Sue Macartney-Snape return pin-sharp in their aim to immortalize the characters de nos jours. From Krystal and Craig practising the samba at the Palais de Glide and dreaming of being on the telly, to the Compost Enthusiasts Constance and Caroline, by way of Hedge Funder Giles - with a house within the congestion zone, a Euro-wife with collagen implants, a 4 x 4 for the Croatian nanny and a Riva - every aspect of contemporary life is covered. It's impossible to resist being drawn in by the sparklingly mischievous prose and hilariously accurate illustrations of these stereotypes from the "Telegraph Magazine". You will join the ever-increasing number of fans already officially classed as the Totally Hooked.

ISBN: 9780719596704

Celebrates the transforming magic of trees, exploring the 'fifth element' of wood as it exists in nature, in our souls, in our culture and our lives.

This is a unique and charming collection of cooking and kitchen-based sayings, proverbs and country wisdom.Containing the familiar and the unfamiliar, this mixture of practical tips and amusing anecdotes is the perfect addition to any kitchen.Ruth Binney explores the origin and merits of each saying, often proving that 'old wives' tales' are just as relevant today as they were in times past.It features tips and advice on a wide range of subjects from meat and fish to fruit and veg, cooking methods to kitchen equipment, all the time providing pertinent lessons in the healthier and much less wasteful ways of former generations.Illustrated with delightful line drawings throughout, "Wise Words and Country Ways for the Cook" is the ideal gift for any cook or nostalgia lover.

ISBN: 9780715330081

"The Wit and Wisdom of the Master" - all compacted into 128 pithy pages! Tony Ring, the president of the Wodehouse Association and author of the 600,000-word "Millennium Wodehouse Concordance", has drawn on his extensive knowledge and even more wonderful enthusiasm to compile an absolutely cracking anthology, which answers all our Christmas present problems in one volume. Here are not only witty epigrams we all know and love (and perhaps lots we don't!) but also longer humorous extracts which are full of wisdom. Evelyn Waugh has written that Wodehouse produced three wholly original similes on every page he wrote - which, even allowing for exaggeration, must make this one of the most original gift books ever! It will certainly be one of the funniest...

ISBN: 9780091921255

Have you ever wondered: o How to deliver a baby? o How to put up a tent in the dark? o How to buy a swimming costume? o How to decide whether or not accept a marriage proposal? Or have you grappled with the thorny issues of the etiquette of group sex, where to sit dysfunctional family members at a wedding, or how to say 'Please', 'Thank you' and 'Would you like to dance?' in thirty different languages? Have you found yourself lost for words at a dinner party, or struggling to remember Kate Moss's boyfriends - and the haircuts she had while she was with them - or wanting to know the ingredients of a lipstick or the central premises of the world's main religions? Then look no further. The answers to all these questions, and more, lie within the pages of this book. Everything But the Kitchen Sink is the definitive distillation of current wisdom for the modern woman. It is a celebration of all things female: a delightful cornucopia of essential facts, figures, diagrams, lists, pie charts, quotes and practical advice that deserves a place in every handbag, backpack or Birkin.

ISBN: 9780297852711

"Words and Pictures" explores three fascinating examples of relationships between artists and writers: the illustrations of "Paradise Lost" and "Pilgrim's Progress"; "Hogarth and Fielding", a writer and artist dealing with common material; Wordsworth and Thomas Bewick, a poet and engraver working separately, but imbued with the spirit of their age. A brief coda turns to a fourth kind of relationship, the writers and artists who collaborate from the start, beginning with Dickens and Phiz. Illustrated throughout with a wide variety of examples, this is a book to pore over and enjoy.

ISBN: 9780571242504

This work offers a compilation of the most fascinating unusual and entertaining material from "The Countryman" magazine's long and prestigious history. Celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2007, the magazine has always reflected what is happening in the countryside - the good and the bad, the nostalgic and the current - and embraced a wide range of social strata and attitudes. With contributions from J.B. Priestley (author), Spike Milligan (comic/author), Robin Page (columnist and broadcaster) and many others, "Words from the Countryman" is a wonderful source of social history, containing everything from hard fact to quirkiness and wry humour.

ISBN: 9780715327043

Garden lovers everywhere will cherish this collection of beautiful poetry and prose inspired by all things green and flourishing. With quotations from down the ages and through the seasons, this beautifully-designed book contains words of wisdom on everything from allotments to arboretums, from pergolas to potting sheds, and will provide moments of laughter and reflection whether you are cooped up on a rainy day or admiring the fruits of your labour on a summer evening.

ISBN: 9781840246537

It is a fact universally acknowledged that the British are obsessed with the weather. This is not surprising as no country in the world has such unpredictable weather, with such power to rule people's lives. THE WRONG KIND OF SNOW is the complete daily companion to this national phenomenon. From the Spanish Armada to the invention of the windscreen wiper, each of the 365 entries beautifully illustrates a day in the weird and wonderful history of the British and their weather.

31 January: The Big Freeze of 1963 brings the FA Cup competition to a halt: every football pitch in Britain is frozen: the third round takes 66 days to complete: the Pools Panel is formed as a result.
9 February: British Rail blames the 'Wrong Kind of Snow'. It was a journalist's phrase, but on this day in 1991 it stuck to the beleagured BR like flesh to ice.
15 July: The exceptionally hot and steamy summer of 1858 caused the Great Stink of London, resulting in the building of London's sewage system, still in use today. On the same day in 1930, rainfall in Yorkshire was so heavy that the Whitby lifeboat makes a rescue two miles inland.
10 September: A violent storm rather than British sea power defeats the Spanish Armada in 1588. Had the weather held and the fleet reached home, it would have been hailed as a Spanish triumph. Four centuries later, bad light and rain stop play at the Oval . . .

And much much more.

ISBN: 9780340937884

You know you're past it when...your back goes out more often than you do; it takes twice as long to look half as good; you forget you have a car, let alone where you parked it; you throw a party and the neighbours don't even notice; and you're given this book as a timely birthday gift.If any of the above seem familiar, then you are most definitely in need of this book. "You Know You're Past It When..." celebrates the inevitable fate that awaits all of us and makes the best out of growing old. Including hundreds of telltale signs, real-life case studies and quirky top-ten clues that wryly prove when someone is past their prime, you can learn to embrace the ageing process. There's nothing wrong with getting on a bit, as long as you do it with style.

ISBN: 9781843173298