Nursing two reluctant knees and a can of Stella, he perambulates through the seasons seeking adventure in our city’s remote and forgotten reaches.When John Rogers packed away his rucksack to start a family in London he didn’t stop travelling. But instead of canoeing up the Rejang River to find retired headhunters in Sarawak, he caught the ferry to Woolwich in search of the edge of the city at Crayford Marshes.This Other London recounts that journey and many others – all on foot and epic in their own cartilage-crunching way. Clutching a samosa and a handful of out-of-date A-Zs, he heads out into the wilderness of isolated luxury apartment blocks in Brentford, the ruins of Lesnes Abbey near Thamesmead, and the ancient Lammas Lands in Leyton.Denounced by his young sons as a ‘hippy wizard’, Rogers delves into some of the overlooked stories rumbling beneath the tarmac of the city suburbs. Holy wells in Lewisham; wassailing in Clapton; a heretical fresco in West Ham. He encounters the Highwaymen of Hounslow Heath, Viet Cong vets still fighting Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket in Beckton, Dutch sailors marooned at Erith pier; and cyclists – without Bradley Wiggins’ sideburns – at Herne Hill Velodrome. He heads out to Uxendon Hill to witness the end of the world, Horsenden Hill to learn its legend, and Tulse Hill to the observatory of the Victorian Brian Cox.This Other London will take you into the hinterland of the city. The London that is lived in; the London where workaday dormitory suburbs sit atop a rich history that could rival Westminster and Tower Bridge. In an age when no corner of the globe has been left untrampled-upon by hordes of tourists, it is time to discover the wonders on our doorstep.This Other London is your gateway through the underexplored nooks of London. As Pathfinder wrote in 1911, ‘Adventure begins at home’.

    English authors such as J.R.R.Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Terry Pratchett, and J.K.Rowling, dominate the world of magic in fiction, but from the earliest times, England has also acted as home to generations of eccentrics and scholars who have researched and explored every conceivable kind of occult art. Most people are torn between a fascination with magic and an almost instinctive fear of the occult, of a world redolent with superstition and illusion. And yet more people now practice magic in England than at any time in her history. The Book of English Magic explores this hidden story, from its first stirrings to our present-day fascination with all things magical. Along the way readers are offered a rich menu of magical things to do and places to visit.

    If you can adopt the principles described in this book, you will be better prepared to counter the razor-sharp hats of hassle that the Odd Jobs of the world are continually flinging at you. It's the first step in learning how to think like a spy.In today's world, information is everything and no one knows how to gather information more effectively than spies. So why not use the information and techniques developed by real spies in your everyday life? The Handbook of Practical Spying shows you how. Get into the mind-set of spies, and learn the cardinal rule: how to deal with the unexpected. Spies have honed the ability to assess a situation, depend on their intuition and knowledge, and react effectively. Learn how to apply spy knowledge to situations in your own life, from how to hide valuables in your home, to how to shake a tail if you are being followed on a dark street. Learn how to avoid carjacking, pickpockets, and how to protect yourself from identity theft. The same tactics used by CIA and KGB agents can also be used in less serious situations-and these techniques can work in surprising ways. Planning a surprise birthday party for someone special? Learn how to create a cover story. Real spies know the tricks and what can give your cover away. A spy must master many skills, and is only as good as what he or she sees and understands. Observe and Analyze, Avoid Capture, Use Disguises, and Analyze Threats. These are all things that can help you in daily applications.The book is presented by International Spy Museum director and ex-CIA operative Peter Earnest, and filled with useful information gathered by the Spy Museum's team of experts. There are sections on how to be safe in your home or when traveling. Tips on child safety, and how to tell if someone is lying. There is a rundown on how to react if terrorism strikes: what do you do if a dirty bomb goes off near you? Sprinkled with quotes from Sun Tzu's The Art of War that are as relevant today as they were when written 2500 years ago, this books teaches in wry and pithy text the cardinal tenet of his writing, "There is nowhere you cannot put spies to good use." The Handbook of Practical Spying features illustrated step-by-step instructions on real-life spy techniques and their practical, positive applications. The authors also share real-life stories about how these tactics have been employed by professional spies all over the world. Featuring 40 2-color line drawings, illustrating spy techniques, and a bulleted text for easy access to the information.

    Up till 2006 a British Ambassador leaving his post was encouraged to write what was known as a valedictory despatch, to be circulated to a small number of influential people in government. This was the parting shot, an opportunity to offer a personal and frank view of the host country, the manners and morals of its people, their institutions, the state of their cooking and their drains. But it was also a chance to let rip at the Foreign Office itself and to look back on a career spent in the service of a sometimes ungrateful nation. Combining gems from the archives with more recent despatches obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, Parting Shots sheds light on Britain's place in the world, revealing the curious cocktail of privilege and privation that makes up the life of an ambassador. 'Wonderful ... a glimpse of that lost world of private eloquence and erudite candour' Matthew d'Ancona, Evening Standard 'Unbuttoned, indiscreet and very funny' Yorkshire Post Matthew Parris had a short career in the Foreign Office where one of his tasks was to distribute incoming valedictory despatches. He was a Conservative MP from 1979 to 1986, since when he has worked as a journalist. He is the author of A Castle in Spain, Parting Shots, and A Spanish Ambassador's Suitcase. He divides his time between Derbyshire (where his old constituency was situated) and east London.

    From the light-hearted "how to react when your boyfriend gives you a blender as a gift" or "what to say when you run into another lady at a party wearing exactly the same dress" to the more serious "what to say to a friend who has had a miscarriage or to a friend who has suffered the sudden death of a parent."As A Lady Would Say differs from other etiquette books. It not only offers suggestions for the correct thing to say in more than 100 social situations, but it gives humorous examples of the wrong thing to say as well. Saying the right thing requires a little logic, a bit of forethought, and a great deal of consideration for others. With the advice provided in this book, a lady will never need to stumble or stutter again.

    The authors made the claim that "All the History you can remember is in the Book," and, for most Brits, they were probably right. But it is their own unique interpretation of events that has made the book a classic; an uproarious satire on textbook history and a population's confused recollections of it.

    Rebecca Fraser's dramatic portrayal of the scientists, statesmen, explorers, soldiers, traders, and artists who forged Britain's national institutions is the perfect introduction to British history.Just as much as kings and queens, battles and empire, Britain's great themes have been the liberty of the individual, the rule of law, and the parliamentary democracy invented to protect them. Ever since Caractacus and Boudicca surprised the Romans with the bravery of their resistance, Britain has stood out as the home of freedom. From Thomas More to William Wilberforce, from Gladstone to Churchill, Britain's history is studded with heroic figures who have resisted tyranny in all its guises, whether it be the Stuart kings' belief in divine right, the institution of slavery, or the ambitions of Napoleon and Hitler.

    Explore the oddities of the British psyche with this witty illustrated book. A perfect companion to British behavior, get to grips with everything from small-talk to superiority, from “the stiff upper lip” to hooliganism, from cricket to condiments, and curry to class. This hilarious A-Z guide will take you through the realm of all that’s British – its culture, its institutions, its humor, and its people. Ben Crystal has worked in tv, film and theatre. He is author of several books on Shakespeare for Penguin. Adam Russ is an actor and writer who lives in London. Ed McLachlan's is an acclaimed British cartoonist.

    Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams met regularly to discuss philosophy and read aloud from their works. Carpenter's account brings to life those warm and enchanting evenings where their imaginations ran wild.

    As acclaimed popular historian and author of How to Be a Victorian Ruth Goodman shows in her madcap chronicle, Elizabethan England was particularly rank with troublemakers, from snooty needlers who took aim with a cutting “thee,” to lowbrow drunkards with revolting table manners. Goodman draws on advice manuals, court cases, and sermons to offer this colorfully crude portrait of offenses most foul. Mischievous readers will delight in learning how to time your impressions for the biggest laugh, why quoting Shakespeare was poor form, and why curses hurled at women were almost always about sex (and why we shouldn’t be surprised). Bringing her signature “exhilarating and contagious” enthusiasm (Boston Globe), this is a celebration of one of history’s naughtiest periods, when derision was an art form.

    A zesty memoir of the celebrated writer's travels to England where she meets the cherished friends from 84, Charing Cross Road.

    At the turn of the twentieth century he brought his own American dream to London’s Oxford Street where, in 1909, with a massive burst of publicity, Harry opened Selfridge’s, England’s first truly modern built-for-purpose department store. Designed to promote shopping as a sensual and pleasurable experience, six acres of floor space offered what he called “everything that enters into the affairs of daily life,” as well as thrilling new luxuries—from ice-cream soda to signature perfumes. This magical emporium also featured Otis elevators, a bank, a rooftop garden with an ice-skating rink, and a restaurant complete with orchestra—all catering to customers from Anna Pavlova to Noel Coward. The store was “a theatre, with the curtain going up at nine o’clock.” Yet the real drama happened off the shop floor, where Mr. Selfridge navigated an extravagant world of mistresses, opulent mansions, racehorses, and an insatiable addiction to gambling. While his gloriously  iconic store still stands, the man himself would ultimately come crashing down.The true story that inspired the Masterpiece series on PBS • Mr. Selfridge is a co-production of ITV Studios and Masterpiece“Enthralling . . . [an] energetic and wonderfully detailed biography.”—London Evening Standard   “Will change your view of shopping forever.”—Vogue (U.K.)

    This is the hilarious and touching real-life diary she kept during that fateful year - with characters like her evil friend Bethany, Bethany's besotted boyfriend, and the boys from the grammar school up the road (who have code names like Haddock and Battered Sausage).My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary evokes a vanished time when Charles and Di are still together, the Berlin wall is up, Kylie is expected to disappear from the charts at any moment and it's £1 for a Snakebite and Black in the Vaults pub. My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary will appeal to anyone who's lived through the 1980s. But it will also strike a chord with anyone who's ever been a confused, lonely teenager who clashes with their mother, takes themselves VERY seriously and has no idea how hilarious they are.

    Pretty: The NYLON Book of Beauty breaks the mold again, with a stylish edge over existing beauty manuals. The magazine's beauty department, Beauty Queen, is informative, stylistically creative, entertaining, and often titillating-anything but boring. This book expands on the magazine's original brand of coverage, which goes beyond make-up application and dry step-by-steps, to give a portrait of beauty as NYLON sees it. Inspired ideas, whimsical illustrations, and cheeky text will have readers wide eyed and flush cheeked without opening a single product. Signature looks and hairstyles of legendary stars of the stage and screen will be shown, with tips on how to re-create them. There will be a run down of the greatest beauty products and scents of all time-from Chanel to Maybelline and everything in between-and inspiring collages of different modern looks, from stripped down to outrageous, to inspire readers to try something new. Pretty stands out from existing beauty books for its style, offering both information and inspiration about being gorgeous. With stunning visual design and all-new material, Pretty exudes NYLON's cool, natural glow and is an imperative accessory for anyone with style.

    With verve and humor, Trinny and Susannah target several types of women—from the harried housewife to the tomboy—and guide them to the fashion, hair, and makeup styles that suit their particular figures, ages, incomes, and outlooks on life. Featuring real American women, this book gives you the tools to feel confident, attractive and, most of all, proud to be yourself.