He traveled the world in order to find things that no one else had seen—but what did he really discover? The stories that he told upon his return to his homeland of the Republic of Venice were so unusual that his fellow compatriots often had a hard time believing him. When he described things such as paper money, gun powder, and coal, these were still so far out of the daily routine of the west that they seemed utterly bizarre to his contemporaries.But even now that Marco Polo’s discoveries are less exotic and more commonplace, do we truly understand what it was that he uncovered? This book will delve deep into the life and legend of Marco Polo.

    No one in her family expects Mary to go far; she's the middle daughter, sharp-tongued, not the favorite, not pretty. But when her cousin, the new Queen of England, Anne Boleyn invites a Shelton daughter to serve her at court, Mary proves to her parents she's their best choice when she boldly spies on them. Mary needs her penchant for breaking the rules if she's to survive at court.Surrounded by girls desperate for the same prize: a grand marriage—Mary quickly outshines them all when she discovers her talent for flirtation and catches the eye of the reckless yet beguiling Lord John de Vere. Thrilled by his attentions, she falls headlong into a passionate game of Pass-the-Time that promises Mary the love she craves and the advancement her family desires. But Mary's dazzling success brings her dangerous enemies who scheme to ruin her life at court. Mary must win Queen Anne’s favor to escape their plots and win her future with Lord John. When Mary forgets that love at court is always a game, she finds herself used in a vicious revenge designed to destroy the most powerful noble in England. With her greatest enemy ready to reveal her worst secret, Mary has just one chance to save her herself from total ruin. It means lying to her family, deceiving Lord John, and defying the Queen. It’s the game Mary was born to play...if she dares.

    Introduced by Michael Palin, OxTravels features original stories from twenty-five top travel writers, including Michael Palin, Paul Theroux, Sara Wheeler, William Dalrymple, Patrick Leigh Fermor, Lloyd Jones, Rory Stewart, Jan Morris, Dervla Murphy, Rory MacLean, and others. Each of the stories takes as its theme a meeting - life-changing, affecting, amusing by turn - and together they transport readers into a brilliant, vivid atlas of encounters.This extraordinary collection is published in aid of Oxfam and all royalties from the book will support Oxfam's work.

    The 33 Scandinavian folk tales take the imagination of the reader from rags to riches, from skulduggery to heroism, via witches' curses, beautiful princesses, giants, quests, billy goats and the occasional wicked troll, to a happy ending.

    Simply constructed, the book explores 50 key works, from the wall paintings of Lascaux to Damien Hirst installations, and then links these to sections on art movements, themes and techniques.The design of the book allows the student or art enthusiast to easily navigate their way around key periods, artists and styles. Accessible and concise, it simplifies and explains the most important and influential concepts in art, and shows how they are connected. The book explains how, why and when art changed, who introduced certain things, what they were, where they were produced, and whether they matter. It demystifies artistic jargon, giving readers a thorough understanding and broad enjoyment of art.'Susie Hodge has culled through hundreds of art movements to highlight and present 36 that illustrate transitions of art, its ideas, representations, characteristics, and production from Prehistoric times up to the dynamic shifts of the 1960s and '70s. As complex as art history is, this book is a welcome, succinct introduction to some classic Western masters.' Cindy Helm, New York Journal of Books'Excellent introduction to the subject. A good quality book, tightly bound, and well illustrated.'– Colin, Amazon reviewer 'The Short Story of Art is an attractive volume that serves as a convenient introduction to major movements, works, themes, and techniques of Western art. The works within are featured more for their seminal or illustrative nature than their fame per se, so the "story" part of the title is apt. The cross referencing and "Other works by…" sections makes it clear that this book is encouraging the reader to explore art on his own.' –Tommy Grooms, Goodreads reviewer

    The trolls pay Halvor an annual Christmas visit until they encounter a great white cat.

    This classic follows coffee's journey around the world, from London to Brazil, telling in fascinating detail and amusing anecdote the singular history of the legendary commodity, from its discovery that chewing on the beans were keeping goats awake in Yemen to the author’s own experiences with the bean in 1935.Referred to as a “documentary novel” back during its inception, H.E. Jacobs pioneered the concept of creative nonfiction, combining the reality of nonfiction with the epic presentation and prose of fiction. This genre exploded into popularity and remains so today. Coffee tells the story of this popular beverage in short, fun to read essays that will entertain anyone that enjoys a good, strong cup of coffee.

    Includes over 400 recipes and tips on choosing, storing, and matching food with wine. Black-and-white illustrations.

    Fueled by intensive reading for his bestselling novel, Hemingway's Chair, and, as always, driven by a desire to discover new places, Michael Palin attempts to put himself into Hemingway's world. The past and the present intertwine, sometimes to startling effect, as Michael travels from Chicago to the forests and lakes of north Michigan, and from the First World War battlefields in Italy to Paris and Spain, where he pauses to learn about the art of bullfighting and to experience Pamplona during the feria and the infamous running of the bulls. He visits Venice at Carnival time, and samples the infectious madness of the unique Fallas festival in Valencia with its burning effigies and ear-splitting fireworks. Hemingway's wanderlust draws Michael to the island of Key West in Florida, once unspoilt, but where the Hemingway industry now flourishes and a look-alike competition is the high point of the centenary celebrations. It takes him fishing in the Gulf Stream, on safari in Africa -- where shooting wild animals once meant guns not cameras -- and on to the Big Country of Montana and Wyoming, where the world-famous author escaped from the pressures of fame. In each location, Basil Pao's evocative photographs capture the mood and local color, and site Michael securely in Hemingway's world. The text is a wonderful exploration of period and place, full of wit and humor, and gives us a fascinating insight into the extraordinary mind and constant, restless perambulations of one of the twentieth-century's greatest, most colorful legends.

    For centuries, war was Europe's defining narrative, affecting every aspect of political, social, and cultural life. But afterWorldWar II, Europe began to reimagine statehood, rejecting ballooning defense budgets in favor of material well-being, social stability, and economic growth.Where Have All the Soldiers Gone? reveals how and why this happened, and what it means for America and the rest of the world.With remarkable insight and clarity, Sheehan covers the major intellectual and political events in Europe over the past one hundred years, from the pacifist and militarist movements of the early twentieth century and two catastrophic world wars to the fall of the BerlinWall and the heated debate over Iraq.This authoritative history provides much-needed context for understanding the fractured era in which we live.we live.

    The history of art has been, successively, a history of artists and their works, of styles and stylistic change, of images--and now, of context and cultures. Art history at its best makes use of all these. 530 color illustrations. 782 b&w.

    The launch of Dalkey’s Best European Fiction series was nothing short of phenomenal, with wide-ranging coverage in international media such as Time magazine, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, Financial Times, and the Guardian; glowing reviews and interviews in print and online magazines such as the Believer, Bookslut, Paste, and the Huffington Post; radio interviews with editor Aleksandar Hemon on NPR stations in the US and BBC Radio 3 and 4 in the UK; and a terrific response from booksellers, who made Best European Fiction 2010 an “Indie Next” pick and created table displays and special promotions throughout the US and UK.For 2011, Aleksandar Hemon is back as editor, along with a new preface by Colum McCann, and with a whole new cast of authors and stories, including work from countries not included in Best European Fiction 2010.UK, WALES: Wiliam Owen Roberts, The ProfessionalsUK, ENGLAND: Hilary Mantel, The Hearts Fails without WarningTURKEY: Ersan Üldes, Professional BehaviorSWITZERLAND: Verena Stefan, Doe a DeerSPAIN (Catalan): Mercè Ibarz, Nela and the VirginsSPAIN (Castilian): Enrique Vila-Matas, Far From HereSLOVENIA: Drago Jančar, The ProphecySERBIA: Vladimir Arsenijević, One Minute: Dumbo’s DeathRUSSIA: Andrei Gelasimov, The Evil EyeROMANIA: Lucian Dan Teodorovici, Goose ChasePORTUGAL: Gonçalo Manuel Tavares, Six TalesPOLAND: Olga Tokarczuk, The Ugliest Woman in the WorldNORWAY: Frode Grytten, Hotel by a RailroadNETHERLANDS: Manon Uphoff, DesireMONTENEGRO: Ognjen Spahić, Raymond is No Longer with Us—Carver is DeadMOLDOVA: Iulian Ciocan, Auntie FroseaMACEDONIA: Blaže Minevski, Academician Sisoye’s Inaugural SpeechLITHUANIA: Danutė Kalinauskaitė, Just ThingsLIECHTENSTEIN: Stefan Sprenger, DustLATVIA: Nora Ikstena, Elza Kuga’s Old-Age DementiaITALY: Marco Candida, Dream DiaryIRELAND (Irish): Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, TrespassesIRELAND (English): Kevin Barry, Doctor SotICELAND: Kristín Eiríksdóttir, Holes in PeopleHUNGARY: László Krasznahorkai, The BillGERMANY: Ingo Schulze, Oranges and AngelGEORGIA: Zurab Lezhava, Sex for FridgeFRANCE: Eric Laurrent, American DiaryFINLAND: Anita Konkka, The ClownESTONIA: Toomas Vint, Beyond the Window a Park is DimmingDENMARK: Peter Adolphsen, Fourteen Small StoriesCZECH REPULIC: Michal Ajvaz, The Wire BookCYPRUS: Nora Nadjarian, ExhibitionCROATIA: Mimi Simić, My GirlfriendBULGARIA: Alek Popov, PlumbersBOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: Goran Samardžić, VarneeshBELGIUM: François Emmanuel, Lou DancingBELARUS: Victor Martinovich, TabooAUSTRIA: Dieter Sperl, Random WalkerALBANIA: Arian Leka, Brothers of the Blade

    W. Norton & Company proudly announces an exciting revision of its best-selling Western Civilizations. Used successfully by well over 1,000,000 students, Western Civilizations is renowned for its balanced presentation, clear prose, and exceptional treatment of cultural history. New co-authors Judith Coffin (University of Texas, Austin) and Robert Stacey (University of Washington, Seattle) have reimagined these classic features for today's instructors and students. The new edition emphasizes the changing boundaries of traditional narratives by discussing the West in a wider world context and highlighting the diverse experiences of its peoples and states. Combined with an outstanding pedagogical program, an expanded website, and a new edition of the companion reader Perspectives from the Past, Western Civilzations offers the most complete and accessible package for students.

    -- Alan Dundes. Propp's work is seminal...[and], now that it is available in a new edition, should be even more valuable to folklorists who are directing their attention to the form of the folktale, especially to those structural characteristics which are common to many entries coming from even different cultures. -- Choice

    Having exhausted nearly every posh Manhattan restaurant, former model Rat suggests they take their buffed bodies to new gastronomic heights via a tour of Europe's Michelin three-star restaurants. Rat's boyfriend will underwrite the trip--but only if they do the twenty-nine restaurants on their list in twenty-nine days. What follows is nothing less than gustatory madness, a wacky dash in a cherry-red 1965 Mustang across England, Belgium, Germany, Italy, and France through Europe's greatest food temples. Filled with hilarious misadventures, priceless exchanges with star chefs, wild excess, breathtaking scenery, and sensual depictions of once-in-a-lifetime meals, Feeding Frenzy will delight travelers and epicures alike.