When Natascha Kampusch made her bid for freedom on 23 August 2006 after eight years held captive in a seemingly ordinary Austrian suburban house, her story horrified and astonished the entire world. How did she survive a childhood locked in a cellar? What sort of young woman had emerged? What kind of man was Wolfgang Priklopil, her abductor - and what demands had he made of her? As the days and weeks passed and Natascha's TV interview failed to quell the curiosity, so the questions began to change. What exactly was the relationship between abductor and hostage? Why had Natascha waited so long to escape when it seemed there had been other, earlier opportunities? Did Natascha's parents know Priklopil before he kidnapped their daughter? Allan Hall and Michael Leidig have tracked the story from the days of the 10-year-old's disappearance. They have spoken to police investigators, lawyers, psychiatrists, and to the family members closest to Natascha. They have come as close as possible to uncovering the full, shocking story. It is a story that tests the limits of our understanding of how human beings behave - and makes our hearts bleed for the plight of an innocent child caught up in a horror story almost beyond our imagining.

On 28 August 1984, Josef Fritzl drugged his teenage daughter with ether and imprisoned her in an underground bunker behind eight locked doors. Over the following twenty-four years, he raped and abused her, never letting her or the children she bore him out of the dark, windowless cellar. Based on 150 new interviews with psychologists, neighbours, colleagues and friends who knew Fritzl, as well as the insight of his own chilling confession, Allan Hall reconstructs the monstrous personality behind this hideous crime. He exposes Josef Fritzl's dark past in Nazi Austria, his previous conviction as a rapist, the appalling conditions in which Elisabeth and her children were kept and her astonishingly brave conduct while held prisoner. Including exclusive photographs and previously unseen evidence, this is a truly heart-stopping record of one of the most elaborate and disturbing cases of abuse in modern times.

If you have ever wanted to view the wonderous objects of our solar system and beyond, here is the how-to manual to get you well on your way. From purchasing your first telescope, through setting it up and finding objects, to viewing your first galaxy, this book contains everything you need. See how to read star maps and navigate the celestial sphere and much more with plenty of pictures, diagrams and charts to make it easy. Written specifically for the novice and assuming the reader has no knowledge of astronomy makes sure that all topics are explained thoroughly from the ground up. Use this book to embark on a fantastic new hobby and learn about the universe at the same time Learn how to: * Choose binoculars for astronomical use * Pick a telescope * Select appropriate eyepieces * Calculate magnification * Locate celestial objects * Record your observations * Set up, balance and polar align EQ mounts * Collimate your reflector telescope * Read star maps * Navigate the night sky * Measure the angle between celestial objects * Estimate an object's magnitude or brightness Contains tables through 2025 for: * Lunar eclipses * Solar eclipses * Transits * Conjunctions * Meteor showers

From the author of "Getting Started: Long Exposure Astrophotography" and "Getting Started: Budget Astrophotography" comes a book specifically aimed at helping beginning astrophotographers in North America capture some, or all of the Messier objects.

Finally, here is one resource you can use on your desk or take into the field providing information on each Messier object, the best time of year to shoot it, approximation of size of the object in your final photo, shoot notes, star charts and more. To help you identify your targets and process your images each object is accompanied by a photo of what you can realistically expect to accomplish at the beginner to intermediate level.

Originally written to be used with the author's book "Getting Started: Long Exposure Astrophotography," this book concentrates on the objects themselves with some specific tips to image them, particularly with a DSLR.

Shooting the Messier objects is a fantastic way to start or continue your astrophotography pursuits, and this book can help make that experience easier and more enjoyable.

Astrophotography can be one of the most rewarding pursuits of a lifetime, it can also be one of the most daunting. This book uses over 200 illustrations, images, charts and graphs in addition to the text to help you understand what equipment you will need and how to make it all work so you can create breathtaking images of the heavens. From purchasing your first astrophotography telescope, hooking up your camera, taking long exposure images, and finally processing that finished image, this book will be your indispensable guide. If you have ever wanted to take photographs of glowing nebulae, spiral galaxies and shimmering star clusters, this is the reference you want on your desk as well as with you out under the stars. I will take you on a journey exploring in-depth details of field rotation and focusing methods, as well as explaining not just the what and how, but the ever important why. Actually see why you stack multiple images and what effect it has. Don't just read about how the atmosphere affects imaging, see it through experimentation that you can do at home on your own

One monster. Three innocent girls. Ten years in captivity.

22 August 2002: 21-year-old Michelle Knight disappears walking home.

21 April 2003: Amanda Berry goes missing the day before her seventeenth birthday.

2 April 2004: 14-year-old Gina DeJesus fails to come home from school.

For over a decade these girls remained undetected in a house just three miles from the block where they all went missing, held captive by a terrifying sexual predator. Tortured, starved and raped, kept in chains, Captive reveals the dark obsessions that drove Ariel Castro to kidnap and enslave his innocent victims.

Based on exclusive interviews with witnesses, psychologists, family and police, this is an unflinching record of a truly shocking crime in a very ordinary neighbourhood. Allan Hall was a New York correspondent for ten years, first for the Sun and later for the Daily Mirror. He has spent the last decade covering German-speaking Europe for newspapers including The Times and the Mail on Sunday.

He is the author of two previous books, Monster, an investigation into the life and crimes of Josef Fritzl and Girl in the Cellar: The Natascha Kampusch Story. He lives and works in Berlin.

Allan Hall makes learning how to photograph the night sky easy with his new book "Getting Started: Budget Astrophotography." In this guide, you will learn the fundamentals of astrophotography - what it is, how it's done, and how to do it yourself. "Getting Started: Budget Astrophotography" is divided into these three sections in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the basics of astrophotography.

Understanding The first section of Hall's guide focuses on understanding astrophotography. Amateur and professional stargazers know that one of the most important things to consider when viewing the heavens is light pollution. Light pollution is exactly what it sounds like - too much light in our environments makes it more difficult to get a good look at planets, stars, and other celestial bodies. If you want to get the best view and photo possible, you must find a location that has little light. This makes a huge difference. In addition to finding a good location for viewing and shooting, you will learn about camera basics, including how to mount a camera and focus a lens. Beyond that, you will read about various types of telescopes and what they do.

Doing The title of the second segment of this reference guide speaks for itself. Once you've learned the fundamentals of location, cameras, and telescopes, it's time to put your knowledge to use. This section discusses how to find targets, as in how to find objects of interest to shoot. From capturing images to camera and exposure settings, you will learn how to make the most of your instruments and location by taking a great shot. This section also discusses making videos, image stacking, and image editing, an important aspect of astrophotography. Many of the celestial shots we see are time-lapse or edited in some way (to improve clarity and reduce visual "noise"). While it may sound difficult, this reference guide simplifies the processes by providing step-by-step instructions.

Building For the handy home astrophotographer, this section includes information about do-it-yourself projects. From modifying your equipment (for example, improving your focus capabilities, modifying a webcam for astrophotography, and even adapting your laptop screen to function in the dark) to building add-ons, you'll learn how to enhance your experience in your own home. Hall provides information about creating glass solar filters for your cameras and even making your own dew heaters.

"Getting Started: Budget Astrophotography" is a great reference guide for beginners and amateur astrophotographers. If you have an interest in astronomy and want to capture what you've viewed through a telescope, doing so is possible from your own home. Hall's comprehensive guide also provides ideas about where to start (as in, what targets are best to photograph), where to find more information about astrophotography, and even a glossary of terms. Indulge your hobby and learn how to improve with "Getting Started: Budget Astrophotography."