People always seemed amused whenever Gretchen Ryan recounted tales of her transformative experiences as an air hostess in days gone by. Many even suggested she write a book about it. So she did. These were the debauched days of flying in the 80s, when flying was sexy, hanky-panky abounded, smoking was permitted, passengers wore suits, the cockpit was never locked and the cutlery was made of steel. This was a time of excess, wryly disguised as fun. This humorous, tongue-in-cheek memoir recalls amusing incidents, and a fair few tragedies, both in the air and around the world, as Gretchen's adventures saw her bounding through London, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Ilha do Sal and New York. Against the backdrop of this `anything-goes' world of flying, for 10 years life was a kaleidoscope of fun and excitement.

Haynes offers the best coverage for cars, trucks, vans, SUVs and motorcycles on the market today. Each manual contains easy to follow step-by-step instructions linked to hundreds of photographs and illustrations. Included in every manual: troubleshooting section to help identify specific problems; tips that give valuable short cuts to make the job easier and eliminate the need for special tools; notes, cautions and warnings for the home mechanic; color spark plug diagnosis and an easy to use index.

The burgeoning of the railway preservation movement all across the United Kingdom in the last 50 years has meant that there are now a considerable amount of steam locomotives preserved, maintained and in full working order and being run in frequent public service by preservation societies on heritage lines. This means that there is a continuing need for a practical handbook to help drivers and those responsible for maintaining the locomotives in safe condition for public use, covering all the basics of steam locomotive construction, technology and operation - this book fulfils that need admirably. The book is a reprint of an official handbook issued for the education of and day-to-day use by British Railways enginemen in late 1957, when it was distributed to all members of the BR footplate grades concerned with steam power. In lucid terms, and with the aid of over 90 contemporary diagrams, many of which employ a variety of colours to distinguish, for example, saturated steam, superheated steam, exhaust steam, air, oil and water passages, the book provides an accessible guide to the basic principles of steam locomotive construction and operation.

Travelling around the Eastern Region in the 1970s and 1980s meant Deltics and then HSTs on the East Coast Main Line; long and slow freight trains crawling across an industrial landscape; rattling DMUs running between large grey cities or picturesque villages. It meant locomotives and stations alike covered in a layer of brake dust and grime. For author Andy Gibbs, travel on the Eastern Region at first involved trips to London's Liverpool Street and King's Cross stations; a Student Railcard allowed trips to Peterborough; British Rail staff tickets and passes meant travel even further afield - York, Doncaster and Leeds, among many other places. With a range of evocative and previously unpublished photographs taken during the 1970s and 1980s, Andy Gibbs offers a portrait of the Eastern Region during this time, allowing the reader to enjoy this interesting period in British railway history in all its grubbiness.

Shipping has been the international business par excellence in many national economies, one that preceded trends in other, more highly visible sectors of international economic activity. Nevertheless, in both business or economic history, shipping has remained relatively overlooked. That gap is filled by this exploration of the evolution of European shipping through the study of two Greek shipping firms. They provide a prime example of the regional European maritime businesses that evolved to serve Europe's international trade and, eventually, the global economy. By the end of the twentieth century, Greeks owned more ships than any other nationality. The story of the Vagliano brothers traces the transformation of Greek shipping from local shipping and trading to international shipping and ship management, while the case of Aristotle Onassis reveals how international shipping was transformed into a global business.

The incredible true story of the origin of human flight, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough. On a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two unknown brothers from Ohio changed history. But it would take the world some time to believe what had happened: the age of flight had begun, with the first heavier-than-air, powered machine carrying a pilot. Who were these men and how was it that they achieved what they did? David McCullough, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, tells the surprising, profoundly human story of Wilbur and Orville Wright. Far more than a couple of unschooled Dayton bicycle mechanics who happened to hit on success, they were men of exceptional courage and determination, and of far-ranging intellectual interests and ceaseless curiosity, much of which they attributed to their upbringing. In this thrilling book, McCullough draws on the immense riches of the Wright Papers, including private diaries, notebooks, scrapbooks, and more than a thousand letters from private family correspondence to tell the human side of the Wright Brothers' story, including the little-known contributions of their sister, Katharine, without whom things might well have gone differently for them.

Covers port injection, TBI, CIS, complete with troubleshooting and trouble codes for all major manufacturers including BMW, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, VW, and Volvo.

Whether the reader has simple maintenance or a complete engine rebuild in mind, he or she can rest assured that there's a Haynes manual for just above every popular domestic and import car, truck, and motorcycle. By conducting complete tear-downs and rebuilds, the staff at Haynes Publishing has discovered all the problems owners will find when repairing or rebuilding their vehicles. By documenting each process with hundreds of illustrations and step-by-step instructions that show the exact order of assembly, Haynes manuals make every step easy to follow.

An epic motorbike ride from the UK through Europe, Asia and Mongolia to the outer reaches of Siberia. A book about the healing power of travel and motorcycling through an unknown landscape. Fully illustrated with the photographs the author took while on the journey. When his wife died tragically, Ian Rogers decided that to ride from London to Magadan, in Russia, would be his road to healing and recovery. Completing the Road of Bones on a motorcycle would be an escape route from the helplessness he had felt as he had nursed his wife through the cancer that he would in the end lose her to. It took him away from his work, his family, his normal life and gave him the time to grieve and put his world in perspective. No windows, no automatic transmission, no metal box protection and absolutely no safety belt, motorcycling fills your senses. Wind, rain, sunshine, smells and with your eyes always on the prize be it the idiot road users in built up areas or mile upon mile of breath-taking Monglian wilderness. Join the author for a journey of discovery through 15 countries, 11 time zones and 30,000 kilometres of Europe, Central Asia and the Far East. An adventure story as well as a homage to the author's wife, this is diary of a journey to places people do not normally think of visiting, or know anything about. `It's good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end.' Ursula Le Guin, author.

This is one of the new Icon titles from Haynes. Originally published in the classic manual size, this compact format will appeal to trade outlets and gift markets. Written by two of British Airways' most experienced Concorde flight crew, the Concorde Manual is the latest aircraft manual from Haynes, following on from the acclaim received by the Spitfire Manual. Concentrating on the technical and engineering aspects of Concorde, this manual gives rare insights into owning, operating, servicing and flying the supersonic airliner. Although the British and French Concorde fleets were prematurely retired in 2003, interest in this marvel of design and technology remains undiminished and all who admire Concorde will relish the unique information provided in this innovative title.