Licensed to thrill, this amazing collection will delight and entertain every Bond fan, unearthing a selection of surprising and intruiging facts about the much-loved fictional spy, and the books and films that he has starred in. Published to coincide with the release of the 25th Bond film, Shatterhand. Brimming with strange and amusing stories about the Bond actors, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, behind the scenes at the film set, and amazing facts about Ian Fleming's original novel. Be transported to the exotic locations, amazed by the spectacular gadgets and thrilled by the infamous villains. The amazing and extraordinary facts series presents interesting, surprising and little-known facts and stories about a wide range of topics which are guaranteed to inform, absorb and entertain in equal measure.

The Victorian era has dominated the popular imagination like no other period, but these myths and stories also give a very distorted view of the 19th century. The early Victorians were much stranger that we usually imagine, and their world would have felt very different from our own and it was only during the long reign of the Queen that a modern society emerged in unexpected ways. Using character portraits, events, and key moments Paterson brings the real life of Victorian Britain alive - from the lifestyles of the aristocrats to the lowest ranks of the London slums. This includes the right way to use a fan, why morning visits were conducted in the afternoon, what the Victorian family ate and how they enjoyed their free time, as well as the Victorian legacy today - convenience food, coffee bars, window shopping, mass media, and celebrity culture. Praise for Dicken's London: Out of the babble of voices, Michael Paterson has been able to extract the essence of London itself. Read this book and re-enter the labyrinth of a now-ancient city.' Peter Ackroyd

This Brief History tells the story of The House of Windsor. Starting with George V and going through Charles, Prince of Wales, all the way to Queen Elizabeth II. Plus it will touch on the next generations of the monarchy, with Prince William, Duchess Kate, and their son. The book will shed light on the fine line trodden between custom and modernity, grandeur and thrift, and influence and neutrality that has left this royal family more secure and appealing than ever.

Alongside the open conflict of World War II there were other, hidden wars - the wars of communication, in which success depended on a flow of concealed and closely-guarded information. Smuggled written messages, secretly transmitted wireless signals, or months of eavesdropping on radio traffic meant operatives could discover in advance what the enemy intended to do. This information was passed on to those who commanded the armies, the fleets and the bomber formations, as well as to the other secret agents throughout the world who were desperately trying to infiltrate enemy lines. Vital information that turned the tide of battle in North African desert and on the Pacific Ocean proved to have been obtained by the time-consuming and unglamorous work of cryptanalysts who deciphered the enemy's coded messages, and coded those for the Allies. From the stuffy huts of Bletchley Park to the battles in the Mediterranean, the French and Dutch Resistance movements and the unkempt radio operatives in Burma, the rarely-seen, outstanding stories collected here reveal the true extent of the 'secret war'. The ongoing need for secrecy for decades after the war meant that the outstanding achievements of wartime cryptanalysts could not be properly recognised. With vivid first-hand accounts and illuminating historical research, VOICES OF THE CODEBREAKERS reveals and finally celebrates the extraordinary accomplishments of these ordinary men and women.

Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning British monarch. A personally quiet, modest and dutiful person, she is far better-informed about the lives of her subjects than they often realize. She has known every Prime Minister since Winston Churchill and every American President since Eisenhower. Yet what of the woman behind the crown? This book seeks to take a new look at this exhaustively-documented life and show how Queen Elizabeth became the person she is. Who, and what, have been the greatest influences upon her? What are her likes and dislikes? What are her hobbies? Who are her friends? What does she feel about the demands of duty and protocol? Is she really enjoying herself when she smiles during official events? How differently does she behave when out of the public eye? Examining the places in which she grew up or has lived, the training she received and her attitudes to significant events in national life, it presents a fresh view of one of recent history's most important figures. In recent years, Queen Elizabeth has become the longest-reigning monarch in our history and has cut back on commitments. Nevertheless she is still very active and has made some wise decisions about who takes over a number of her duties.

The character of the last Tsar, Nicholas II (1868-1918) is crucial to understanding the overthrow of tsarist Russia, the most significant event in Russian history. Nicholas became Tsar at the age of 26. Though a conscientious man who was passionate in his devotion to his country, he was weak, sentimental, dogmatic and indecisive. Ironically he could have made an effective constitutional monarch, but these flaws rendered him fatally unsuited to be the sole ruler of a nation that was in the throes of painful modernisation. That he failed is not surprising, for many abler monarchs could not have succeeded. Rather to be wondered at is that he managed, for 23 years, to hold on to power despite the overwhelming force of circumstances. Though Nicholas was exasperating, he had many endearing qualities. A modern audience, aware - as contemporaries were not - of the private pressures under which he lived, can empathise with him and forgive some of his errors of judgement. To some readers he seems a fool, to others a monster, but many are touched by the story of a well-meaning man doing his best under impossible conditions. He is, in other words, a biographical subject that engages readers whatever their viewpoint. His family was of great importance to Nicholas. He and his wife, Alexandra, married for love and retained this affection to the end of their lives. His four daughters, all different and intriguing personalities, were beautiful and charming. His son, the family's - and the nation's - hope for the future, was disabled by an illness that had to be concealed from Russia and from the world. It was this circumstance that made possible the nefarious influence of Rasputin, which in turn hastened the end of the dynasty. This story has everything: romance and tragedy, grandeur and misery, human frailty and an international catastrophe that would not only bring down the Tsar but put an end to the glittering era of European monarchies.

Pastoral Supervision is increasingly sought out by people working in ministry. It offers a safe space to reflect theologically and constructively on pastoral experience. Pastoral Supervision: A Handbook is the standard text for what is a growing discipline and endorsed by APSE, the Association of Pastoral Supervisors and Educators, which is now established as an accrediting professional body for all involved in supervision in a Christian context. Much has happened in the discipline since the first edition was published. The second edition contains * a new foreword * a new introduction written by the authors * a new chapter on the nuts and bolts of structuring a supervision session * a new chapter on embodied active supervision * literature updates and textual improvements to the extant chapters.

Enriching Ministry offers a more detailed and wide-ranging overview of pastoral supervision and its relationship to other disciplines and fields of study. It describes an approach to supervision which is theologically rich, psychologically informed, contextually sensitive and praxis based. It is intended for those seeking support for their own ministries as well as for those who supervise in the areas of initial and continuing ministerial formation; healthcare; executive coaching, spiritual direction. The final chapters consider the professional development and training of supervisors. This book is aimed at those in local ministry seeking training in supervision in the UK [training incumbents; team rectors; superintendents etc..], healthcare chaplains who facilitate reflective practice or who offer in-house supervision [a requirement for UK based Band 6+ jobs]; spiritual directors for whom there is not as yet any unified approach to/training for pastoral supervision, theological educators trying to meet the requirements of supervised placements, Supervision Practitioners, supervision training providers, those in ministry seeking supervision, bishops and church leaders looking for ways of getting beyond appraisal to non-managerial ministerial and vocational reflection.

This book offers a fascinating, evocative account of 19th-century London, so well known from Charles Dickens' much-loved novels. This book draws on descriptions of life in the capital from original letters, diaries and newspapers, as well as Dickens' own social commentary, to paint a vivid portrait of a city undergoing massive social changes. A unique gazetteer section with a modern-day map allows the reader to discover where places and attractions mentioned in the text can be seen in today's London.