For over a century, the Comrades Marathon has captivated a nation. It’s an annual South African ritual, a day of inspiration and extraordinary achievement. Written in an accessible, anecdotal style, this book tells the absorbing story of a humble start in 1921, when only a handful of runners finished, to its current status as the world’s greatest ultra-marathon.

It bears witness to the complexity of South African society and over a hundred years of change in a fascinating story that begins with the early heroes, Arthur Newton in the 1920s, Hardy Ballington in the 1930s and Wally Hayward in the 1950s, to official permission for women and people of colour to run in the 1970s, to nine-times winner Bruce Fordyce in the 1980s, democratic South Africa in the 1990s, the domination of the Russians in the early 2000s, and the ascent of black runners in the 2010s. And then came a worldwide pandemic and for only the second time in its history, the Comrades Marathon was cancelled.

In 2022, participants once again lined up on the Old Main Road for the first time in two years to run the ultimate human race, this book tells the tale of the world’s largest ultra-marathon: its glories, its passions, its triumphs and tragedies.

'A writer of comic genius - he has something of Roald Dahl's magic, but more heart' - Sunday Telegraph ‘Maybe you don’t believe me. Maybe you don’t believe in magic. I bet you will by the time you’ve heard what happened to us.’ Cousins Middy and Nathan love magic. The on-stage, cape-swirling, bunny-out-of-a-hat kind. For Middy, it’s all about patience and practice. She uses magic skills to help her out of tricky situations. Nathan is a show-off and a total danger magnet, he is drawn to the sensation, spectacle and audience. So when the famous Blackpool Tower dramatically vanishes the night of the Grand Lights Switch-On, showman Nathan announces live on TV that they will magic it back home. With a stick of rock, a spangly cape, and a bit of misdirection, they end up lost in Las Vegas, home to the grand master of illusion, Perplexion, ‘Legend of Magic’. Full of tricks, twists and deceptions, the delightful Nathan and Middy will keep you guessing until the very end. Praise for Noah's Gold: 'Sparkly, witty, enticing storytelling . . . It's perfect' Hilary McKay

The perfect crime – it's a work of art, in Frank Cottrell Boyce's ingenious story, Framed.

Dylan is the only boy living in the tiny Welsh town of Manod. His parents run the Snowdonia Oasis Auto Marvel garage – and when he's not trying to persuade his sisters to play football, Dylan is in charge of the petrol log. And that means he gets to keep track of everyone coming in and out of Manod – what car they drive, what they're called, even their favourite flavour of crisps. But when a mysterious convoy of lorries trundles up the misty mountainside towards an old, disused mine, even Dylan is confounded. Who are these people – and what have they got to hide?

A story inspired by a press cutting describing how, during World War II, the treasured contents of London's National Gallery were stored in Welsh slate mines. Once a month, a morale-boosting masterpiece would be unveiled in the village and then returned to London for viewing. This is a funny and touching exploration of how art – its beauty and its value – touches the life of one little boy and his big family in a very small town.

This edition of Framed includes bonus material and discussion questions from Frank Cottrell Boyce, and illustrations by Steven Lenton.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

Laika and her fellow street dogs are being trained up for the greatest adventure in history - a trip to the moon! But Laika can't wait to see the stars - so she hatches a plan with her friends to get her there all on her own . . . Join Laika and friends in The Great Rocket Robbery by Carnegie Medal-winning author Frank Cottrell-Boyce, illustrated by Steven Lenton - final destination: adventure!

'A writer of comic genius - he has something of Roald Dahl's magic, but more heart' - Sunday Telegraph ‘Maybe you don’t believe me. Maybe you don’t believe in magic. I bet you will by the time you’ve heard what happened to us.’ Cousins Middy and Nathan love magic. The on-stage, cape-swirling, bunny-out-of-a-hat kind. For Middy, it’s all about patience and practice. She uses magic skills to help her out of tricky situations. Nathan is a show-off and a total danger magnet, he is drawn to the sensation, spectacle and audience. So when the famous Blackpool Tower dramatically vanishes the night of the Grand Lights Switch-On, showman Nathan announces live on TV that they will magic it back home. With a stick of rock, a spangly cape, and a bit of misdirection, they end up lost in Las Vegas, home to the grand master of illusion, Perplexion, ‘Legend of Magic’. Full of tricks, twists and deceptions, the delightful Nathan and Middy will keep you guessing until the very end. No matter how big the show, family, friendship and adventure shine through in The Wonder Brothers - multi-award-winning author Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Praise for Noah's Gold: 'Sparkly, witty, enticing storytelling . . . It's perfect' Hilary McKay

The author traces his Campbell ancestors through at least seven generations to Perth in central Scotland. Details on children and grandchildren are included when known. The author also includes interesting facts about the times and places where they lived as well as weaving their life stories into local history when he believes it will add value. Details on living persons is limited or excluded. Much of the information was passed down within the author's family and is based on original sources that have not been made available in published works other than the author's earlier publication ""Cottrell-Brashear Family Linage"" which contained some Campbell history. The author includes copies of family documents as well as family photographs. Sources are extensively documented as footnotes at the bottom of each page. Timeline and ancestor charts are also provided. An ""all name"" index lists page numbers for each individual.

Energy and Society (Revised) When first published in 1955, this book was among the first interpretive treatments of the connection between a society's energy conditions and evolution of its culture. The book begins with a basic discussion of the earliest forms of energy uses and evolves through a discussion of how the evolution of alternative energy converters has impacted the growth of civilization. Dr.Cottrell takes us from food gathering societies up through the beginning of the industrial revolution into the age of nuclear power. With each step of change, he discusses how society has changed and the impact these changes have had on economic, moral and social issues. Today, more than any time in history, the questions of energy sources, energy conversion, energy uses and energy distribution are among the greatest challenges faced by civilization. In this book, Dr. Cottrell does not give you answers or predictions but takes you through the thought processes necessary to overcome the multible barriers we face in moving into the future.

Frank Cottrell Boyce's Millions is the tale of a not-so-great train robbery.

Two brothers, Damian and Anthony, are unwittingly caught up in a train robbery during Britain's countdown to joining the Euro. Suddenly finding themselves with a vast amount of cash, the boys have just one glorious, appalling dilemma – how to spend it in the few days before it becomes worthless. Torn between the vices of buying a million pizzas and the virtues of ending world poverty, the boys soon discover that being rich is a mug's game. For not only is the clock ticking – the bungling bank robbers are closing in too.

Pizzas or World Peace – what would you choose?

This edition features fantastic cover artwork from the incredible Steven Lenton.

The author traces his Lashbrook ancestors back seven generations and his Taylor ancestors back through eight generations. William Lashbrooke, the author's 5th Great-grandfather who was born on 17 October 1717 in Meeth in Devon, England immigrated to the U.S. from Devonshire in 1738 as a bonded passenger/criminal on a ship named "Forward." Isaac Taylor, the author's 6th Great-grandfather who was born on 8 October 1710 in County Antrim, Northern Ireland immigrated to the U.S. from Ireland around 1741. Details on children and grandchildren are included when known. The author also includes facts about the times and places where they lived as well as weaving their life stories into local history when he believes it will add value. Details on living persons is limited or intentionally excluded. Extensive references are included as footnotes and an "all name" index lists each person along with page numbers where they are found.

It's one giant leap for all boy-kind in Frank Cottrell Boyce's out-of-this-world story: Cosmic.

Liam is too big for his boots. And his football strip. And his school blazer. But being super-sized height-wise has its advantages: he's the only eleven-year-old to ever ride the G-force-defying Cosmic rollercoaster – or to be offered the chance to drive a Porsche. Long-legged Liam makes a giant leap for boy-kind by competing with a group of adults for the chance to go into space. Is Liam the best boy for the job? Sometimes being big isn't all about being a grown-up.

This edition of Cosmic includes bonus material and discussion questions from Frank Cottrell Boyce and features fantastic cover artwork from Steven Lenton.