Can she save herself from a witch's fate?Martha is a feisty and articulate young woman, the daughter of a wheelwright, living in a Herefordshire village in Elizabethan England. With no mother Martha's life is spent running her father's meagre household and helping out at the local school whilst longing to escape the confines and small-mindedness of a community driven by religious bigotry and poverty. As she is able to read and is well-versed in herbal remedies she is suspected of being a witch. When a landslip occurs - opening up a huge chasm in the centre of the village - she is blamed for it and pursued remorselessly by the villagers. But can her own wits and the love of local stablehand Jacob save her from a witch's persecution and death... A brilliant and accomplished novel that perfectly captures the febrile atmosphere of Elizabethan village life in an age when suspicion and superstition were rife. Perfect for fans of Tracy Chevalier. What readers are saying about The Wheelwright's Daughter: 'It's a gripping story and such accomplished writing. I really enjoyed every moment of working on it.' Yvonne Holland, editor of Philippa Gregory and Tracy Chevalier 'A brilliant debut novel' 'An interesting read and an impressive debut novel' 'A wonderfully written story' 'A skilfully crafted story of love, betrayal, superstition and fear in 16th century England.' 'This is a story of courage, trust, betrayal and love.' 'A great historical novel I loved.' 'Keeps you hooked til the end.' 'An excellent read, highly recommended.' 'Full of historical detail and atmosphere' 'I enjoyed this thoughtful and well-written story by Eleanor Porter.' 'Atmospheric and evocative'

This is not only a travel book but a thought-provoking documentary on inter-cultural relationships between the different races and nationalities comprising the huge expatriate population and native Arab residents of the oil-rich peninsula. The many characters portrayed, presented in a variety of authentic stories encountered by the author on his travels, are centred around the horrific event of a public stoning in Saudi Arabia. Some of the stories have a humorous flavour, but all are concerned with the human problems - many of them poignant - of expatriates and Arabs alike, living cheek by jowl in a society of gaping contrasts. It would be simplistic to interpret the book as merely a critique of the harsher aspects of Arab life from a Western perspective, for in the cause of future concord, the author calls for a dialogue between the cultures of the Middle East and the West in the name of social justice and modernisation. The present strains, in what has become a multi-cultural society following the influx of millions, mostly from the Third World, anticipates the possibility of trouble in the future. The status of women is highlighted and discussed in several dramatic episodes, and a compassionate view is taken of Asian guest workers in the light of their widespread mistreatment in the Gulf. The rigidity of tradition would seem not merely to prevent the development of a modem mind-set, but in the perceived threat of Westernisation, to trigger an even more regressive attitude, as is shown clearly in this book. But note is also taken of the Arab outlook on the Western world, together with their horror of Western liberal values, and their passionate arguments for resisting change are recorded in detail. An element of suspense and mystery is maintained throughout the book as the execution of the condemned victim progresses through the narrative, only interrupted by recollections of other personalities and the stories surrounding them. Is the condemned person male or female? And what was the offence? No prior information is posted by the authorities on the public punishment or execution of offenders. The attitude of many readers to the horrific episode may change considerably as the tme facts leading up to the execution are revealed towards the end of the book.

The end of the nineteenth century was a difficult time for farmers in Scotland. A decade of cold years made it hard to grow crops or feed animals and grain growers faced competition from America after the repeal of the Corn Laws. In these harsh conditions, ordinary families still pursued their lives and loves. My Father Was a Farmer in New Cumnock tells the story of the Baird family and of their joys and struggles on their farm.

The Second World War Chief of MI6 said Alexander Wilson had 'remarkable gifts as a writer of fiction, and no sense of responsibility in using them!' Wilson's three year career in the Secret Intelligence Service ended when the country's spy chiefs decided his creativity got the better of his grasp of reality. His 'secret lives' extended to his private life. Four wives and four families; not necessarily one after the other. This book, along with the memoir of his third wife Alison, is the foundation of the 'Mrs Wilson' series premiered in the USA by Masterpiece on PBS in 2019. The dramatisation stars his award-winning granddaughter Ruth Wilson who plays the role of Alison. Ruth is also one of the executive producers of the series broadcast by the BBC to critical acclaim in the UK at the end of 2018 with their highest audiences for midweek drama. Tim Crook unravels more of the mysteries of this extraordinary story in the second (US/International) edition of 'Alec' Alexander Wilson's biography.

Who were the pioneers in science education, and what motivated them to do what they did?" This book is the second volume of an attempt to capture and record some of the answers to these questions-either from the pioneers themselves or from those persons who worked most closely with them. As with the first volume, we have attempted to include as many pioneers as possible, but we know that there are still many that are not included in this or the previous volume. As we have posed questions, rummaged through files and oft?neglected books, and probed the memories of many individuals, we have come to realize our list of true pioneers is ever growing. As we consider our list of pioneers, we know that there are names on the list that most of us readily recognize. We also fully realize that there are names of whom few of us have heard-yet who were significant in their roles as mentors or idea development and teaching. We continue to be impressed with our science education "family tree" ever branching out to more individuals and connections. The stories in this volume continue to demonstrate how vital this network was in supporting the individual pioneers during their journey in difficult times and continues to be for those of us today in our own enterprise.

In November, 1915 a woman appeared amid the fighting at Gallipoli. She laid a wreath on a grave and then disappeared. It was the grave of a hero, a man killed at the landings and awarded the Victoria Cross. There were two women who truly loved this man. Was the visitor a dedicated nurse and hospital founder who saved the lives of thousands in a 50 year career - a woman awarded medals by Britain, France and Turkey? Or was it a famous explorer, fluent in Arabic and Persian, a friend of the famous including T E Lawrence and Winston Churchill and the only female delegate among thousands at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919? Five years of research has revealed this amazing true story. It has emerged from tantalising clues, unpublished love letters and false trails deliberately left to hide the truth. Which woman was it? Who was The Only Woman at Gallipoli?

In 1895 Mark Twain started out on a year-long around-the-world lecture tour that formed the basis for Following the Equator. A modern-day journalist re-creates Twain's passage through India and offers his own intriguing observations of the same sites a century later.

Big Brother - Big Banker reveals how a few of the world's richest men conceived and formulated a plan to absorb and control the wealth and resources of the world - including everyone and everything in it. These men made a pact to secretly pool their money and resources to influence all nations on the planet, establishing what they have termed a New World Order. 'They' are deadly serious, implementing covert plans that will ultimately control the entire human race.

While childbirth is a normal part of most women's lives and a process which usually proceeds without any real risk, for the world's poorest women this is often not the case. Poverty, malnutrition, female genital mutilation, child marriage and AIDS put these women in a high risk bracket from Day 1 of their pregnancies. To make matters worse, when things go wrong they often have no easy access to healthcare, when they get to a clinic or hospital skilled staff may not be available or, if they are, the drugs and equipment they need may well not be at their disposal. War, natural disasters and a lack of infrastructure, not to mention corruption and entrenched cultural attitudes which are not sympathetic towards the challenges women face present yet more problems. In this book the author, an obstetrician gynaecologist with extensive experience of working in developing countries, provides an insight into these and other problems by telling individual women's stories. Each account highlights a different problem. For this special study edition university lecturer and teacher Sylvie Donna has written questions to go with each account to help facilitate reflection and discussion; the questions can either be used for personal study or by tutors in seminars; the book's index will help students complete assignments, think through issues and develop potential solutions. Work which is already being carried out to help vulnerable populations is also outlined by the author, Dr Jean Chamberlain Froese, who founded the Canadian charity Save the Mothers, and by her husband, freelance journalist Thomas Froese. Where relevant, statistics are also provided so as to give readers a clearer picture of the real situation facing women and healthcare providers in some of the world's poorest countries.

In August of 1838, in the middle of a devastating civil war, a grotesque figure arrived with the mail coach at Santiago de Compostela, the ancient pilgrimage town in the North-West of Spain. He was a former Swiss mercenary, who thirty years previously had heard a rumour about a massive hoard of church plate buried by the soldiers of Marshal Ney. A fantasy? A daydream? Just one of the many hollow legends of hidden gold that abound in Spain? Perhaps so. But, astonishingly, the Swiss vagrant did not come on his own errand. He came sponsored by Spain's savvy Minister of Finance, Don Alejandro Mon, who for some shadowy reason of his own lent credence to the tale. Like an historical Sherlock Holmes, Peter Missler traces the true tale of Benedict Mol, the treasure hunter, through the mists of time and a smoke-screen of cover-stories. It is a fascinating saga which takes us into Portugal with the looting French invaders, into the wildest mountains of Northern Spain with the brilliant polyglot George Borrow, and - by the hand of Mol - into the darkest nooks and corners of a hospital for syphilitics. No treasure was ever found, either in the first attempt, which toppled the government, or in the second one, which ended with the murder of two innocent peasants. Therefore, quite possibly, Ney's treasure still lies waiting elsewhere in a Santiago park...

It is widely believed that people living in the Middle Ages seldom traveled. But, as Medieval Travel and Travelers reveals, many medieval people - and not only Marco Polo - were on the move for a variety of different reasons. Assuming no previous knowledge of medieval civilizations, this volume allows readers to experience the excitement of men and women who ventured into new lands. By addressing cross-cultural interaction, religion, and travel literature, the collection sheds light on how travel shaped the way we perceive the world, while also connecting history to the contemporary era of globalization. Including a mix of complete sources, excerpts, and images, Medieval Travel and Travelers provides readers with opportunities for further reflection on what medieval people expected to find in foreign locales, while sparking curiosity about undiscovered spaces and cultures.

LONGLISTED FOR THE ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION 'One of the mysteries I've long been fascinated by, and I am so grateful that Ravi Somaiya has cracked it open so brilliantly' David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon A PLANE CRASH IN THE JUNGLE. A LEGENDARY STATESMAN DEAD. A TRAGIC ACCIDENT... OR THE ULTIMATE CONSPIRACY? In 1961, a Douglas DC-6B aeroplane transporting the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjoeld, disappeared over the Congolese jungle at the height of the Cold War. Soon afterward, Hammarskjoeld was discovered in the smoking wreckage, an Ace of Spades playing card placed on his body. He had been heralded as the Congo's best hope for peace and independence. Now he was dead. The circumstances of that night have remained one of the Cold War's most tightly guarded secrets for decades. Now, with exclusive evidence, investigative journalist Ravi Somaiya finally uncovers the truth, with dark implications for governments and corporations alike.

Science teaches evolution. Genesis describes creation. Christianity, Judaism, and Sufism teach resurrection. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism teach reincarnation. The Reluctant Messenger of Science and Religion resolves these paradoxes.

Chester and Lydia meet in a debate. One wins. One loses. Neither are ever the same.

Lydia discovers a secret from her past that destroyed her family. She tries to ignore it, but her nightmares won’t let her. Chester’s greed for gold and revenge lead him to ancient knowledge which the powers of darkness fight to suppress.

When the information last came to light, thousands died. Somehow, Chester must safely reveal it to the world.