'One of the non-fiction books of the year.' Andrew O' Hagan A powerful, evocative and deeply personal journey into the world of missing people When Francisco Garcia was just seven years old, his father, Christobal, left his family. Unemployed, addicted to drink and drugs, and adrift in life, Christobal decided he would rather disappear altogether than carry on dealing with the problems in front of him. So that's what he did, leaving his young wife and child in the dead of night. He has been missing ever since. Twenty years on, Francisco is ready to take up the search for answers. Why did this happen and how could it be possible? Where might his father have gone? And is there any reason to hope for a happy reunion? During his journey, which takes him all across Britain and back to his father's homeland of Spain, Francisco tells the stories of those he meets along the way: the police investigators; the charity employees and volunteers; the once missing and those perilously at risk around us; the families, friends and all those left behind. If You Were There is the moving and affecting story of one man's search for his lost family, an urgent document of where we are now and a powerful, timeless reminder of our responsibility to others.

On 26th July 1986 a train derailed after striking a van at an open level crossing in a remote East Yorkshire village. The resulting carnage killed nine people, injured 42 and left dozens of survivors and families reeling from the shock for the rest of their lives. Now for the first time the full story of that tragedy can be told by the people who were there. The horror of the survivors, the bravery of the rescuers and the heartache for the people left behind. From one disaster came a campaign to have open crossings banned and to make sure a disaster like Lockington will never happen again. Richard M Jones is a researcher who has made it his life's ambition to record forgotten disasters and events lost to history. His achievements include writing the first book about the Great Gale of 1871 and placing a memorial for the Lockington victims. A serving member of the Royal Navy, he lives in Bridlington.

A New York Times Bestseller. Great white sharks are enigmas. They ruled the oceans long before dinosaurs inhabited the earth, yet we know surprisingly little about them. Scientists speculate they can live for 60 years and grow to a massive 20 feet long. They heal miraculously from severe injuries and can sense a heartbeat from miles away. There is one place on earth where it is possible to study great whites in the wild: a spooky outcrop of jagged rocks off the coast of San Francisco. This godforsaken island is home to a handful of shark-obsessed scientists, ready to endanger their lives just to get close. This is a riveting adventure about great white sharks and the power they have over us.

"Compass" chronicles the misadventures of those who attempted to perfect the magnetic compass so precious to sixteenth-century seamen that, by law, any man found tampering with it had his hand pinned to the mast with a dagger. From the time man first took to the seas until only one thousand years ago, sight and winds were the sailor's only navigational aids. It was not until the development of the compass that maps and charts could be used with any accuracy even so, it would be hundreds of years and thousands of shipwrecks before the marvelous instrument was perfected. And its history up to modern times is filled with the stories of disasters that befell sailors who misused it. In this page-turning history of man's search for reliable navigation of treacherous sea routes around the globe, Alan Gurney brings to life the instrument Victor Hugo called "the soul of the ship."

This book tells stories of how ordinary people in their everyday lives have responded to the challenges of living more sustainably. In these difficult times, we need stories that engage, enchant and inspire. Most of all, we need stories of practical changes, of community action, of changing hearts and minds. This is a book that takes the question, "What can I do?" and sets out to find some answers using one of our species' most vital skills: the ability to tell stories in which to spread knowledge, ideas, inspiration and hope. Read about the transformation of wasteland and the installation of water power, stories about reducing consumption and creating sustainable business, stories from people changing how they live their lives and the inner transformations this demands.

There are some truths that are inescapable, and one such truth is the necessity for harmony and disharmony in our natural world: predator and prey, humans and wildlife, nature and the forces of nature. In Jack Boudreaus ninth book, KING OF THE MOUNTAIN, he takes a deep look at the delicate balance of co-existence. He introduces us to the hunters, landowners and conservationists that have witnessed the changing world of BCs great north. True to Jacks style, these stories are personal, humorous and sometimes tragic for both human and animal.