Two inspiring collections of over 90 poems and other short readings which could be read at funerals and weddings. Edited by the well-known "Casualty" actress.
Julia Watson was born in south Wales, and read English and Drama at Exeter University. She plays Dr Baz in Casualty, a series she has worked in since the beginning. She is married to the poet David Harsent, and they live with their daughter in Barnes, south-west London.
Charles Rosen is one of the leading writers on music and musicians in the world. His landmark books include The Classical Style and The Romantic Generation. He is a concert pianist and Professor of Music at New York University.
Virginia and Alice Madden are 'odd women', growing old alone in Victorian England with no prospect of finding love. Forced into poverty by the sudden death of their father, they lead lives of quiet desperation in a genteel boarding house in London. Meanwhile, their younger sister Monica, struggles to endure a loveless marriage she agreed to as her only escape from spinsterhood. But when the Maddens meet an old friend, Rhoda Nunn, they are soon...
A fascinating study of the world's great myths and their impact on the creative arts through the ages, this insightful and absorbing book demonstrates the dynamic effect that ancient mythology has had on the creative efforts of succeeding centuries. Distinguished historian and classical scholar Michael Grant summarizes all the myths as well as the legends of the lesser gods and heroes, and traces their origins in historical fact or religious m...
With The Mysteries of Udolpho, Ann Radcliffe raised the Gothic romance to a new level and inspired a long line of imitators. Portraying her heroine's inner life, creating a thick atmosphere of fear, and providing a gripping plot that continues to thrill readers today, The Mysteries of Udolpho is the story of orphan Emily St. Aubert, who finds herself separated from the man she loves and confined within the medieval castle of her aunt's new hus...
Masterfully blending narrative and interpretation, and R.F. Foster's Modern Ireland: 1600-1972 looks at how key events in Irish history contributed to the creation of the 'Irish Nation'. 'The most brilliant and courageous Irish historian of his generation' Colm Tóibín, London Review of Books 'Remarkable ... Foster gives a wise and balanced account of both forces of unity and forces of diversity ... a master work of scholarship' Bernard Crick, ...
Nine biographies that illuminate the careers, personalities and military campaigns of some of Rome's greatest statesmenThe lives of the statesmen featured in this collection span the earliest days of the Republic to the establishment of the Empire. Selected from Plutarch's Roman Lives, they include prominent figures who achieved fame for their pivotal roles in Roman history, such as soldierly Marcellus, eloquent Cato and cautious Fabius. Here ...
A brilliant re-creation of the great myths of the Middle Ages-from Beowulf to the Cid! Medieval myths are as significant to modern reads as they were to the unlettered serfs and lords of feudal times. Their influence on literature, philosophy, and folklore is apparent throughout the history of Europe, and they have deeply expressed the imagination and dreams of many peoples. Offering nine brilliant retellings of the great myths of the medieval...
Apple cider, applesauce, apple muffins, cakes, and pies! Annie is a very busy apple farmer. She bakes yummy treats with the apples she picks and saves her best apples to sell at the market. Follow Annie through her apple-filled day of picking, counting, sorting, baking, and selling, and then try making some of her simple apple recipes.
Shaped by a novelist's imagination, Elizabeth Gaskell's admiring portrait of her friend (and author of JANE EYRE) Charlotte Bronte, as well as her descriptions of the people and events that caused Bronte pain or suffering reads much like the life of fictional characters of their early 19th-century time--extreme self-denial, coping with sickness and death and surviving through the strength of religious faith and moral integrity.
Did you know that our word Thursday comes from the Viking god Thor . . . as in Thor's Day? Neither did the Time Warp Trio. Did you know that if you say "Thursday" over and over again too close to a certain magic Book, you will get sucked back two thousand years to the time of the Vikings? Neither did the Time Warp Trio. Can our trusty heroes, Joe, Sam, and Fred, survive a wild ride with Leif Eriksson, match wits with his evil cousin, and get b...
A Roman historian chronicles Rome on the brink of collapseAmmianus Marcellinus was the last great Roman historian, and his writings rank alongside those of Livy and Tacitus. The Later Roman Empire chronicles a period of twenty-five years during Marcellinus' own lifetime, covering the reigns of Constantius, Julian, Jovian, Valentinian I, and Valens, and providing eyewitness accounts of significant military events including the Battle of Strasbo...
Borges was born in Buenos Aires in 1899. A poet, critic and short story writer, he received numerous awards for his work including the 1961 International Publisher's Prize (shared with Samuel Beckett). He died in 1986. He has a reasonable claim, with Kafka and Joyce, to be the most influential writer of the 20th Century.
Providing a series of fascinating views of Imperial Rome, The Letters of the Younger Pliny also offer one of the fullest self-portraits to survive from classical times. Pliny's lively and very personal letters address an astonishing range of topics, from a deeply moving account of his uncle's death in the eruption that engulfed Pompeii, to observations on the early Christians-"a desperate sort of cult carried to extravagant lengths"-from descr...
Move from the stressful "fast lane" to the "vast lane" of a meaningful life with renowned spiritual teacher Bo Lozoff. "Filled with lessons, wisdom practices, and love. An invitation to a life well lived".--Jack Kornfield, author of "A Path with Heart".
Rushdie at his most candid, impassioned, and incisive--an important and moving record of one writer's intellectual and personal odyssey. These 75 essays demonstrate Rushdie's range and prophetic vision, as he focuses on his fellow writers, on films, and on the mine-strewn ground of race, politics and religion.
