In the autumn of 1915, in a "slightly heroic mood", E.M. Forster arrived in Alexandria, full of lofty ideals as a volunteer for the Red Cross. Yet most of his time was spent exploring "the magic, antiquity and complexity" of the place in order to cope with living in what he saw as a "funk-hole". With a novelist's pen, he brings to life the fabled, romantic city of Alexander the Great, capital of Graeco-Roman Egypt, beacon of light and culture symbolised by the Pharos, where the doomed love affair of Antony and Cleopatra was played out and the greatest library the world has ever known was built. Threading 3,000 years of history with vibrant strands of literature and punctuating the narrative with his own experiences, Forster immortalised Alexandria, painting an incomparable portrait of the great city and, inadvertently, himself.

In the autumn of 1915, in a "slightly heroic mood", E.M. Forster arrived in Alexandria, full of lofty ideals as a volunteer for the Red Cross. Yet most of his time was spent exploring "the magic, antiquity and complexity" of the place in order to cope with living in what he saw as a "funk-hole". With a novelist's pen, he brings to life the fabled, romantic city of Alexander the Great, capital of Graeco-Roman Egypt, beacon of light and culture symbolised by the Pharos, where the doomed love affair of Antony and Cleopatra was played out and the greatest library the world has ever known was built. Threading 3,000 years of history with vibrant strands of literature and punctuating the narrative with his own experiences, Forster immortalised Alexandria, painting an incomparable portrait of the great city and, inadvertently, himself.

Founded by Alexander the Great in 332 BCE, ­Alexandria was once the largest city in the ancient world. It has had an eventful past: it was home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was occupied by various foreign powers, and has long been a key port. Situated on the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt's second largest city is today a popular holiday destination. This book, the first comprehensive guide to the city's archi­tecture, traces how the ebbs and flows of history and diverse cultures have left their marks on ­Alexandria. It covers every­thing from classical ruins and Ottoman fortifications to a ­Venetian Gothic hotel and Snohetta's modern ­Bibliotheca Alexandrina. It also highlights edifices off the beaten path, such as the Cotton ­Palace ­T­ower, a sky­scraper intended for use as the headquarters of the country's cotton industry but inexplicably abandoned before completion. Structured around five main routes, the publication serves as a user-friendly guide for exploring the city's wealth of buildings. Its knowledgeable authors, from the Architecture departments at ­Alexandria University, furnish readers with enlightening in­for­ma­tion from multi­ple perspectives, building up a clear picture of a multi-­layered city.

An essential guide to learning everything you need to know about the history, central practices, and the key teachings of many religions. A compelling and insightful guide for uncovering and understanding a variety of the world's major religions. This book will be the perfect gift for thinkers, borrowers, and students of religious studies and philosophy. Learn new and profound information about a variety of faiths. In this educational guide you'll find: - A chapter devoted to each of the major world religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Jainism, Sikhism and Islam - Lesser-known religions and belief systems are covered, offering a comprehensive overview of faith - Detailed illustrations and annotated works of art, and a timeline of religious history Discover a variety of the world's major religions and other faiths from both the ancient and the modern world through this insightful guide. Explore over 450 classic works of religious and devotional art. With sacred texts, epic imagery, key beliefs, and religious artefacts, this educational guide is perfect for libraries, classrooms, and the bookshelves of those who simply love learning.

An illustrated guide to London's best pubs and their extraordinary history, presented by the founder of the world-famous Liquid History Tours. Pull up a stool for a thirst-quenching trundle through London's liquid history in search of the city's greatest pubs. We raise a toast in Shakespeare's local, pop in for a pint at Jack the Ripper's bar and push open the bloodstained doors of the Bucket of Blood. Liquid History is a beautifully illustrated love letter to London's finest hostelries, written by the city's leading pub tour guide and host of the celebrated Liquid History Tours. Profiling over 50 timeless boozers, this book tells the story of London's history and the taverns that have hosted, harboured and refreshed its leading characters. Exploring the watering holes of London's writers and artists, its most notorious criminals and celebrated figures, we move from architectural marvels to secretive backstreet boozers to join the dots for London's ultimate knees-up.

An essential guide to learning everything you need to know about the history, central practices, and the key teachings of many religions. A compelling and insightful guide for uncovering and understanding a variety of the world’s major religions. This book will be the perfect gift for thinkers, borrowers, and students of religious studies and philosophy. Learn new and profound information about a variety of faiths. In this educational guide you’ll find: - A chapter devoted to each of the major world religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Jainism, Sikhism and Islam - Lesser-known religions and belief systems are covered, offering a comprehensive overview of faith - Detailed illustrations and annotated works of art, and a timeline of religious history Discover a variety of the world’s major religions and other faiths from both the ancient and the modern world through this insightful guide. Explore over 450 classic works of religious and devotional art. With sacred texts, epic imagery, key beliefs, and religious artefacts, this educational guide is perfect for libraries, classrooms, and the bookshelves of those who simply love learning.

An essential guide to learning everything you need to know about the history, central practices, and the key teachings of many religions. A compelling and insightful guide for uncovering and understanding a variety of the world’s major religions. This book will be the perfect gift for thinkers, borrowers, and students of religious studies and philosophy. Learn new and profound information about a variety of faiths. In this educational guide you’ll find: - A chapter devoted to each of the major world religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Jainism, Sikhism and Islam - Lesser-known religions and belief systems are covered, offering a comprehensive overview of faith - Detailed illustrations and annotated works of art, and a timeline of religious history Discover a variety of the world’s major religions and other faiths from both the ancient and the modern world through this insightful guide. Explore over 450 classic works of religious and devotional art. With sacred texts, epic imagery, key beliefs, and religious artefacts, this educational guide is perfect for libraries, classrooms, and the bookshelves of those who simply love learning.

Celebrate design history with this stunning visual guide. What makes a design really good? This comprehensive reference guide explores the evolution of design through key designers, manufacturers, objects, and the movements they inspired - from the arts and crafts movement to the digital age.

Celebrate design history with this stunning visual guide. What makes a design really good? This comprehensive reference guide explores the evolution of design through key designers, manufacturers, objects, and the movements they inspired - from the arts and crafts movement to the digital age.

From the first cities of Sumer to the empire of the Incas, travel around the world and through 5,000 years of history in this illustrated guide to see where and how ancient peoples lived. From North America to New Zealand, this book takes you on a trip around the world and through history to visit ancient cities and empires, showing who lived where and explaining the unique features of each civilization. The Ancient Worlds Atlas is a pictorial guide to past civilizations, covering big history topics for curious kids aged 9-12 years. What was it like to live in the crowded city of Rome? Why did the Egyptians build pyramids? When did Samurai warriors first ride into battle? How did sailors first navigate the Pacific Ocean? Which Chinese emperor has a palace with 1,000 bedrooms? Find out the answers to these fascinating questions and much more in this lavishly illustrated guide to past civilizations.

A beautiful guide to Earth's wildlife and natural history, including its rocks, minerals, animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms and more! Introducing The Natural History Book - a complete guide to the nature and wildlife of our world and written by a worldwide team of natural history experts. In the 11 years since the book was originally released, thousands of new species have been identified, and new revelations have redrawn the tree of life. Already featuring galleries of more than 5,000 species, The Natural History Book has since been updated to include dynamic discoveries such as the olinguito (the "kitty bear" of the Andean cloud forest), and a new species of deep-sea Bolosoma glass sponge photographed by the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, alongside a reorganization of the groups of living things to reflect the latest scientific understanding. Explore each and every page of this stunning nature book to discover: - A full-colour gallery of over 5,000 species - Over 500 rocks, minerals and fossils featured throughout - Includes glossary of important natural history terms - Specially-commissioned photographs showcase wildlife in close-up detail This treasure-trove of natural history is accompanied with easy-to-read, accessible information and beautifully-striking imagery, making it a riveting reference guide to pass down for generations to come. The only book to offer a complete visual survey of all kingdoms of life, this nature book for adults is the perfect addition to every family bookshelf, as well as an ideal gift for the nature, animal and plant lover in your life! Gardeners, hikers, and visitors to wildlife park and natural history museums alike would also love this niche nature book, which also doubles up as the perfect coffee table book. Split into 6 core chapters, covering Living Earth, Minerals, Rocks and Fossils, Microscopic Life, Plants, Fungi, and Animals - there truly is something for everyone to explore, love and learn. From granites to grape vines, from microbes to mammals, The Natural History Book is the ultimate celebration of the diversity of the natural world.

Discover history's significant events since 3000 BCE through a detailed and dynamic, book-long, timeline! Unearth the events that shaped the world! Explore momentous discoveries, ingenious inventions, philosophy and religion, world cultures and nations, and important events in the context of their time, through a detailed book-long, timeline. This world history book covers: - Feature panels on events, people, and places throughout - Feature spreads are of three easily recognisable types: maps, collections, and "story of" - Cross-references build the bite-size pieces of information into a narrative - Specially commissioned photography, maps, and illustrations - Reference section gives overviews of key subjects such as leaders, battles, and discoveries History Year by Year combines bite-sized information, eye-catching images, and clear maps to intrigue history buffs and students of history alike. The unique structure will give you a broad overview of different eras, the story about the people, and the nitty-gritty of key historical events. Inside this visual guide to history, you'll find everything from ancient Egypt, the rise of the Roman Empire, the Qing Dynasty to the Ottoman Empire, World War II, and space exploration. The illustrated history guide sections the history of the world into spreads that focus on a specific culture, an explanation of the history of ground-breaking inventions, concepts, or trends. Then includes infographics to deliver facts and figures, while collections of artefacts give finer details of the historical societies. It's a wonderful history gift book for students or those who want a more visual depiction of world events.

Discover history's significant events since 3000 BCE through a detailed and dynamic, book-long, timeline! Unearth the events that shaped the world! Explore momentous discoveries, ingenious inventions, philosophy and religion, world cultures and nations, and important events in the context of their time, through a detailed book-long, timeline. This world history book covers: - Feature panels on events, people, and places throughout - Feature spreads are of three easily recognisable types: maps, collections, and "story of" - Cross-references build the bite-size pieces of information into a narrative - Specially commissioned photography, maps, and illustrations - Reference section gives overviews of key subjects such as leaders, battles, and discoveries History Year by Year combines bite-sized information, eye-catching images, and clear maps to intrigue history buffs and students of history alike. The unique structure will give you a broad overview of different eras, the story about the people, and the nitty-gritty of key historical events. Inside this visual guide to history, you'll find everything from ancient Egypt, the rise of the Roman Empire, the Qing Dynasty to the Ottoman Empire, World War II, and space exploration. The illustrated history guide sections the history of the world into spreads that focus on a specific culture, an explanation of the history of ground-breaking inventions, concepts, or trends. Then includes infographics to deliver facts and figures, while collections of artefacts give finer details of the historical societies. It's a wonderful history gift book for students or those who want a more visual depiction of world events.

A practical approach to the ancient Chinese movement for health and well-being. Tai Chi is a movement practice firmly rooted in Chinese culture and philosophy. The Complete Illustrated Guide to Tai Chi is a beautifully photographed, informative and practical guide to the life-enhancing practice of the short form of Tai Chi. Extensively researched and clearly explained this comprehensive guide includes: History, origins and philosophy of Tai Chi Basic principles - movement and the body Life energies - meridians and the 7 major chakras Mind, movement and focus A step-by-step guide to the complete movement sequence Other important aspects of the art of Tai Chi Tai Chi for life, health and leisure Angus Clark offers a fully comprehensive interpretation of the short form of Tai Chi, presented in a style that is easy to follow and relevant to contemporary life.

An exciting, laugh-a-minute guide to every Olympic and Paralympic sport From boxing to boccia, find out just what it takes to become an Olympic and Paralympic star in this hilariously informative guide to the games. For each sport you’ll discover why it’s great, why it’s not so great, what skills and equipment you’ll need to start practising and even how to sound like a pro! You’ll learn about some of the greatest Olympians in history, events that might appear in the future and there’s a helpful guide to your chances of becoming a champion. With bold, energetic illustrations and a text packed with weird, wonderful and wildly hilarious facts written by former sports journalist Scott Allen, this gift book is the funniest guide you’ll find to the next Olympics!

Discover the astounding ancient architecture, the history of civilization, and the beauty of our planet in these Wonders of the World. Become an eyewitness to the fascinating architectural feats and natural treasures of the world in this picture-led reference guide that will take you on a visual tour of more than 50 wonders of the world. Children will be mesmerised by human-made landscapes such as the Statue of Liberty to record-breaking natural marvels like the River Nile. This unique, beautifully illustrated guide takes kids on an incredible journey around the world's most spectacular sights. Using striking full-colour photographs and illustrations, discover the Pyramids of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria and much more! Throughout the pages of this newly-revised book on Wonders of the World, you can expect to find: - A fresh new look, new photographs, updated information, and a new "eyewitness" feature - Amazing facts, diagrams, statistics, and timelines - Brand new eyewitness accounts from experts in the field Eyewitness Wonders of the World introduces the ultimate guide to remarkable architecture and natural wonders. Children can learn about the most incredible natural and human-made wonders, through amazing facts, diagrams, and statistics to see them as never before. This all-emcompassing wonders of the world guide is a must-have for curious children aged 9+ with a thirst for learning, as well as teachers, parents and librarians. So, what's new? Part of DK's best-selling Eyewitness series, this popular title has been reinvigorated for the next generation of information-seekers and stay-at-home explorers, with a fresh new look, up to 20 percent new images, including photography and updated diagrams, updated information, and a new "eyewitness" feature with fascinating first-hand accounts from experts in the field. Explore the series! Globally, the Eyewitness series has sold more than 50 million copies over 30 years. Journey down the River Amazon and explore the rainforest with Eyewitness Amazon, learn how to combat climate change with Eyewitness Climate Change or take a trip aboard the most famous ship in history with Eyewitness Titanic.