Paul and Rachel Chandler

A YEAR AT GUNPOINT WITH SOMALI GANGSTERS

On 23 October 2009, British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler were kidnapped from their sailing boat in the archipelago of the Seychelles.

Their yacht, Lynn Rival, was recovered six days later by naval forces, abandoned off the central Somali coast.

After the attack, Paul and Rachel were taken first onto a previously hijacked merchant ship and then to Somalia, where they were held for over a year, enduring threats and intimidation while their captors tried to extort millions of dollars from their family.

In this remarkable book, the Chandlers recount their terrifying ordeal, revealing the inspiring and poignant story behind the dramatic headlines. At the heart of their survival was their unshakeable belief in each other and their determination to survive, making Hostage an unlikely love story; for Paul and Rachel, death, at times, seemed preferable to being separated.

Jaimie Oliver

In his new book, Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals, Jamie proves that, by mastering a few tricks and being organized and focused in the kitchen, it is absolutely possible, and easy, to get a complete meal on the table in the same amount of time you’d normally spend making one dish!

The 50 brand-new meal ideas in this book are exciting, varied and seasonal. They include main course recipes with side dishes as well as puddings and drinks, and are all meals you’ll be proud to serve your family and friends. Jamie has written the recipes in a way that will help you make the most of every single minute in the kitchen. This book is as practical as it is beautiful, showing that with a bit of preparation, the right equipment and some organization, hearty, delicious, quick meals are less than half an hour away. You’ll be amazed by what you’re able to achieve.

Sara Gruen

The New York Times bestseller - of how six bonobo apes change the lives of three humans, from master storyteller Sara Gruen, author of the international bestseller, Water for Elephants.

These bonobos are no ordinary apes. Like others of their species, they are capable of reason and carrying on deep relationships - but, unlike most bonobos, they also know American Sign Language.

Isabel Duncan, a scientist at the Great Ape Language Lab, doesn’t understand people, but animals she gets, especially the bonobos. Isabel feels more comfortable in their world than she’s ever felt among humans . . . until she meets John Thigpen, a very married reporter who braves the ever-present animal rights protesters outside the lab to see what’s really going on inside.

When an explosion tears apart the lab, severly injuring Isabel and ‘liberating’ the apes to an unknown destination, John’s human interest piece turns into the story of a lifetime.

Released in paperback 1 September 2011

George R R Martin

First volume of a brilliant new fantasy trilogy: the most powerful, original and absorbing new epic since Stephen Donaldson’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. The first volume of George R R Martin’s glorious high fantasy tells the tragic story of treachery, greed and war that threatens the unity of the Seven Kingdoms south of the Wall. Martin unfolds with astonishing skill a tale of truly epic dimensions, thronged with memorable characters, a story of treachery and ambition, love and magic. Set in a fabulous world scarred by battle and catastrophe over 8000 years of recorded history, it tells of the deeds of men and women locked in the deadliest of conflicts and the terrible legacy they will leave their children. In the game of thrones, you win or you die. And in the bitter-cold, unliving lands beyond the Wall, a terrible winter gathers and the others — the undead, the neverborn, wildlings to whom the threat of the sword is nothing — make ready to descend on the realms of men. A Game of Thrones begins the most imaginative, ambitious and compelling fantasy epic since The Lord of the Rings. Thronged with memorable characters, it unfolds with astonishing skill a tale of truly epic dimensions. There have been many pretenders to the throne of Tolkien: now at last he has a true heir.

Clare Ferguson

‘Mediterranean’ is a celebration of the most delicious and best-loved dishes from the northern shores of the Mediterranean. Recipes from Italy, Spain, Greece and the South of France have become famous around the world. Using the finest ingredients, every recipe is packed with flavour.

Special Offer: 6.00€ Hardback

Rick Watson & Trudy Thelander

A Cookbook and Guide to Weight Loss, Longevity, Combining the Best Features of Mediterranean and Asain Diets.

Indulge yourself with tasty and satisfying foods like pasta dishes, stir–fries, curries, risottos, noodle dishes, and sushi, all washed down with a glass of wine or beer. Stay active but don′t bother with a formal exercise regimen, and set aside time every day to relax and unwind. You may find it hard to believe, but eating and living this way can help you stay lean and healthy, substantially reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and increase your chances of living longer. People from Mediterranean and Asian cultures have been living like this–and reaping the rewards–for more than 5,000 years.

Hardback 20€

Jeffrey Archer

The Clifton Chronicles is Jeffrey Archer’s most ambitious work in four decades as an international bestselling author.

The epic tale of Harry Clifton’s life begins in 1919, in the backstreets of Bristol. His father was a war hero, but it will be twenty-one tumultuous years before Harry discovers the truth about how his father really died and if, in fact, he even was his father.Only Time Will Tell takes a cast of memorable characters from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take his place at Oxford, or join the fight against Hitler’s Germany.In Jeffrey Archer’s masterful hands, you will be taken on a journey that you won’t want to end, even after you turn the last page of this unforgettable yarn, because you will be faced with a dilemma that neither you, nor Harry Clifton could ever have anticipated.

Released in Paperback 11 September 2011

Ildefonsso Falcones

Snared between two cultures and two loves, one man is forced to choose…

1564, the Kingdom of Granada. After years of Christian oppression, the Moors take arms and daub the white houses of Sierra Nevada with the blood of their victims.

Amidst the conflict is young Hernando, the son of an Arab woman and the Christian priest who raped her. He is despised and regularly beaten by his own step-father for his ‘tainted’ heritage.

Fuelled with the love of the beautiful Fatima, Hernando hatches a plan to unite the two warring faiths – and the two halves of his identity…

Price 9.90€

Michael Connelly

When Mickey Haller is invited by the Los Angeles County District Attorney to prosecute a case for him, he knows something strange is going on. Mickey’s a defence lawyer, one of the best in the business, and to switch sides like this would be akin to asking a fox to guard the hen-house. But the high-profile case of Jason Jessup, a convicted child-killer who spent almost 25 years on death row before DNA evidence freed him, is an intriguing one… Eager for the publicity and drawn to the challenge, Mickey takes the case, with Detective Harry Bosch on board as his lead investigator. But as a new trial date is set, it starts to look like he’s been set up. Mickey and Harry are going to have to dig deep into the past and find the truth about what really happened to the victim all those years ago.

Released 7 July

Collins Easy Learning Spanish Grammar and Practice has been designed for all those learning Spanish at school, at work or at home. It provides easily accessible information in an attractively presented layout. Key grammatical points and hundreds of exercises are highlighted throughout the text as a means of reinforcement. In addition, a full glossary gives clear explanations of grammatical terminology.

Collins Easy Learning Spanish Grammar and Practice also provides beginners with all the regular verb forms and conjugations, and the most common tenses of irregular verbs are shown in full. An index contains thousands of verbs which are cross-referred to their conjugation model.

• Collins Easy Learning Spanish Grammar and Practice explains the essential points of French grammar using simple language throughout.

• Dozens of exercises help you to practice each grammar point.

• Hundreds of examples of real Spanish illustrate clearly the grammatical points being made.

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