Five feature-length action adventures based on the Marvel comic.

In 'X-Men' (2000), mutants Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) are former friends, but look set to become mortal enemies when fascist US senator Robert Frank Kelly calls for the registration of all humans with abnormal powers. While telepath Xavier, who runs an altruistic academy for superhuman 'X-Men', wishes to enlighten non-mutants and break down the prejudices which divide them, Magneto believes that the only solution is for the mutants to take over. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) - an aggressive loner with an admantium skeleton and the ability to heal his body of any wound - and teenager Rogue (Anna Paquin), who can absorb the life force of others simply by touching them, are selected by Xavier to join his academy, but it isn't long before Magneto's followers are attempting to capture them so that they can assist in his plan for world domination.

In the sequel, 'X-Men 2' (2003), Xavier, Wolverine and the X-Men find themselves in the firing line after a failed assassination attempt on the president points the finger at the school. It was in fact the mysterious teleporter Nightwalker (Alan Cumming) who ordered it, and, in an attempt to clear their names, the X-Men are led into a trap set by the evil William Stryker (Brian Cox), a mysterious scientist apparently working for the government. As it soon becomes evident that Stryker's agenda is to destroy all mutants, the X-Men need to call in the help of many of their old friends and foes, including Magneto, if they are to stop him.

In the third film, 'X-Men: The Last Stand' (2006), the mutants are given the option of giving up their powers and becoming human after a private laboratory supported by the government finds a way to use the DNA of a powerful boy to correct the mutants. However, Magneto opposes and decides to join a force to fight against the government and kill the mutant boy. Meanwhile, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) resurrects, uncontrolled by Xavier, and with the personality of the powerful Dark Phoenix. She destroys Cyclops (James Marsden) and Xavier and allies herself to the evil forces of Magneto, making them almost invincible.

The fourth film in the franchise, 'X-Men: Origins - Wolverine' (2009) is a prequel to the other three films. Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine, who, some 20 years before the action of the original movie, is seeking revenge on his half-brother Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) for the death of his girlfriend, and eventually signs up to the ominous Weapon X programme.

Finally, 'X-Men: First Class' (2011) charts the beginning of the saga, following Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) through their formative years in the 1960s as they come to terms with their newfound superpowers. Initially close friends who work together to fight against evil, the two men are driven apart by a conflict of opinion that ultimately leads to the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.

Superhero action prequel to the first three 'X-Men' movies. The film charts the beginning of the saga, following Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) through their formative years in the 1960s as they come to terms with their newfound superpowers. Initially close friends who work together to fight against evil, the two men are driven apart by a conflict of opinion that ultimately leads to the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men. Kevin Bacon, January Jones and Rose Byrne co-star.

Four-volume collection featuring Marvel Comics superheroes. In 'X-Men Origins - Wolverine' (2009) Hugh Jackman reprises his role as clawed mutant Wolverine, formerly James Logan, in this blockbuster action prequel. The film, set over the years leading up to the events of the 2003 'X-Men' movie, follows the young Logan from the first awakenings of his mutant powers in childhood up to his amnesiac rebirth as Wolverine, and recounts his tumultuous relationship with his ferocious half-brother, Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), and the events that lead him to sign up to the ominous Weapon X programme. In 'Daredevil' (2003), Ben Affleck stars as Matt Murdock who, after being blinded by a spillage of toxic waste when he was a boy, develops his other senses to an incredible degree, allowing him to navigate the city with pinpoint accuracy. Now he works by day as a lawyer, and by night he becomes the Daredevil when he uses his supersenses to continue his fight against underworld supervillain Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan). In 'Elektra' (2005) Jennifer Garner plays Elektra Natchios, a hired assassin who is reunited with her old martial arts master, Stick (Terence Stamp). When she is given an assignment to kill Mark Miller (Goran Visnjic) and his daughter, Abby (Kristin Prout), her conscience gets the better of her and she decides to protect them instead, provoking the wrath of martial arts syndicate 'The Hand'. Finally, in 'Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer' (2007), the sequel to the 2005 adaptation of the comic book, Sue Storm, aka The Invisible Girl (Jessica Alba), and Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd), prepare for their upcoming, superhero-studded wedding celebration. But Reed is preoccupied by reports of a bizarre, comet-like object hurtling toward the Earth with tremendous force. When the object hits the island of Manhattan, destroying much of the city in its wake, its identity becomes resoundingly clear: 'it' is actually a psychotic villain known as The Silver Surfer (voice of Laurence Fishburne) who aims to destroy the Earth. Sue and Reed decide to summon Ben Grimm, aka The Thing (Michael Chiklis), and Johnny Storm, aka The Human Torch (Chris Evans), to take on the Surfer - and end up battling not only him, but an obnoxious army general (Andre Braugher) and the cantankerous Victor Von Doom (Julian MacMahon), who has broken out of the icy prison that held him captive at the end of the first movie.

Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is a family man cop who is about to turn fifty. Cautious by nature, he is less than happy to be paired with Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) when he is assigned to investigate Californian drug baron 'The General' (Mitchell Ryan). Following the death of his wife, Riggs has become a manic loner who no longer cares whether he lives or dies; an approach which causes more than a few problems as he and Murtaugh attempt to bring the General to justice.

Bryan Singer directs and co-writes this big screen adaptation of the long-running Marvel comic strip. Mutants Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) are former friends, but look set to become mortal enemies when fascistic US senator Robert Frank Kelly calls for the registration of all humans with abnormal powers. While telepath Xavier, who runs an altruistic academy for superhuman 'X-Men', wishes to enlighten non-mutants and break down the prejudices which divide them, Magneto believes that the only solution is for the mutants to take over. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) - an aggressive loner with an admantium skeleton and the ability to heal his body of any wound - and teenager Rogue (Anna Paquin), who can absorb the life force of others simply by touching them, are selected by Xavier to join his academy, but it isn't long before Magneto's followers are attempting to capture them so that they can assist in his plan for world domination.

Double bill of action films telling the story of the X-Men character Wolverine. In 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' (2009), Hugh Jackman stars as the clawed mutant Wolverine formerly known as James Logan. The film, set in the years leading up to the action of 2003's 'X-Men', follows the young Logan from the first awakenings of his mutant powers in childhood up to his rebirth as Wolverine, and recounts his tumultuous relationship with his ferocious half-brother Victor Creed, aka Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), and the events that led him to sign up to the ominous Weapon X programme. In 'The Wolverine' (2013), at a time following the events of 'X-Men 3' (2006), Logan finds himself vulnerable, alone and at his lowest point, after losing his intimate connections with the outside world. Drawn to modern-day Japan by the gratitude of a wealthy industrialist from his past who secretly covets his healing powers, Logan soon finds himself up against the deadly charms of a femme fatale known as 'The Viper' (Svetlana Khodchenkova), whilst having to confront samurai steel and lethal ninjas as his destiny draws him towards a winner-takes-all battle with his ultimate foe The Silver Samurai (Will Yun Lee).

The third film in the popular 'X-Men' film franchise. When a private laboratory supported by the government finds the cure for the mutants, using the DNA of a powerful boy, the mutants have the option of giving up their powers and becoming human. However, Magneto (Ian McKellen) opposes and decides to join a force to fight against the government and kill the mutant boy. Meanwhile, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) resurrects uncontrolled by Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and with the personality of the powerful Dark Phoenix. She destroys Cyclops (James Marsden) and Xavier, and allies to the evil forces of Magneto, making them almost invincible.

* Offers a comprehensive discussion of how different agencies handle the challenges faced by police today. * Gives rare voice to the experiences, views, and perspectives of those tasked with doing policing across a variety of cultures. * Offers a global perspective not available in most works on policing.

Box set containing all three films from the hugely popular 'X-Men' film franchise based on the long-running Marvel comic strip. In 'X-Men' (2000), mutants Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) are former friends, but look set to become mortal enemies when fascistic US senator Robert Frank Kelly (Bruce Davison) calls for the registration of all humans with abnormal powers. While telepath Xavier, who runs an altruistic academy for superhuman 'X-Men', wishes to enlighten non-mutants and break down the prejudices which divide them, Magneto believes that the only solution is for the mutants to take over. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) - an aggressive loner with an admantium skeleton and the ability to heal his body of any wound - and teenager Rogue (Anna Paquin), who can absorb the life force of others simply by touching them, are selected by Xavier to join his academy, but it isn't long before Magneto's followers are attempting to capture them so that they can assist in his plan for world domination. In 'X-Men 2' (2003), Professor Charles Xavier, Wolverine, and the Academy for Gifted Youngsters, aka the X-Men, find themselves in the firing line after a failed assasination attempt on the President points the finger at the school. It was in fact the mysterious teleporter Nightwalker (Alan Cumming) who ordered it, and, in an attempt to clear their names, the X-Men are led into a trap set by the evil William Stryker (Brian Cox) - a mysterious scientist apparently working for the government. As it soon becomes evident that Stryker's agenda is to destroy all mutants, the X-Men need to call in the help of many of their old friends and foe, including Magneto (McKellen), if they are to stop him. In 'X-Men 3: The Last Stand' (2006), when a private laboratory supported by the government finds the cure for the mutants, using the DNA of a powerful boy, the mutants have the option of giving up their powers and becoming human. However, Magneto (McKellen) opposes and decides to join a force to fight against the government and kill the mutant boy. Meanwhile, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) resurrects uncontrolled by Xavier and with the personality of the powerful Dark Phoenix. She destroys Cyclops (James Marsden) and Xavier, and allies to the evil forces of Magneto, making them almost invincible.

SELECTED AS A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK A SUNDAY TIMES BEST PAPERBACK OF 2022 Born and raised in America, Mildred Harnack was twenty-six and living in Germany when she witnessed the meteoric rise of the Nazi party. She began holding secret meetings in her apartment, forming a small band of political activists set on helping Jews escape, denouncing Hitler and calling for revolution. When the Second World War began, she became a spy, couriering top-secret intelligence to the Allies. In this astonishing work of non-fiction, Harnack's great-great-niece Rebecca Donner draws on extensive archival research, fusing elements of biography, political thriller and scholarly detective story to tell a powerful, epic tale of an enigmatic woman nearly erased by history.

Bryan Singer directs this blockbuster superhero sequel based on the characters from the Marvel comic strip. With a storyline that alternates between the past and present, the film acts as a direct sequel to three separate films, 'X-Men: The Last Stand' (2006), 'X-Men: First Class' (2011) and 'The Wolverine' (2013). When the survivors of the battle in 'X-Men: The Last Stand', led by Magneto (Ian McKellen), Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Storm (Halle Berry), discover that total annihilation now awaits humans and mutants alike, they send the ageless Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to try and change the course of events. In the past, Wolverine must team up with the younger incarnations of the X-Men seen in 'X-Men: First Class', Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), to avert disaster. Will he succeed?

Superhero action prequel to the first three 'X-Men' movies. The film charts the beginning of the saga, following Professor X (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) through their formative years in the 1960s as they come to terms with their newfound superpowers. Initially close friends who work together to fight against evil, the two men are driven apart by a conflict of opinion that ultimately leads to the eternal war between Magneto's Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men. Kevin Bacon, January Jones and Rose Byrne co-star.

Bryan Singer directs this blockbuster superhero sequel based on the characters from the Marvel comic strip. With a storyline that alternates between the past and present, the film acts as a direct sequel to three separate films, 'X-Men: The Last Stand' (2006), 'X-Men: First Class' (2011) and 'The Wolverine' (2013). When the survivors of the battle in 'X-Men: The Last Stand', led by Magneto (Ian McKellen), Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Storm (Halle Berry), discover that total annihilation now awaits humans and mutants alike, they send the ageless Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to try and change the course of events. In the past, Wolverine must team up with the younger incarnations of the X-Men seen in 'X-Men: First Class', Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Magneto (Michael Fassbender) and Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), to avert disaster. Will he succeed?

Through in-depth analysis of advertisements, politics and group-based practices, this book analyses the complex local, regional, and national historical developments related to the making of the Indian consumer across a century of global involvement. In assessing the nationalist discourse, debates on the morality of consumption and public and private spheres, the book demonstrates how the Indian consumer was both imagined and informed and how the politics of consumption formed the consumer society in India. Shedding new light on consumer cultures in India, the book will be of interest to academics from interdisciplinary fields such as anthropology, history, geography, sociology, South Asian studies and area studies, popular and visual cultures.

George C. Scott plays the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge in this version of the Dickens Christmas classic. Scrooge is a misanthrope unimpressed by the fuss everyone makes during the festive season. That is, until his sleep is disturbed one Christmas Eve by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, each of which takes him on a journey which helps him to open his heart to his fellow man and to thereby learn the joy of Christmas. Filmed entirely on location in the historic town of Shrewsbury.

Through in-depth analysis of advertisements, politics and group-based practices, this book analyses the complex local, regional, and national historical developments related to the making of the Indian consumer across a century of global involvement. In assessing the nationalist discourse, debates on the morality of consumption and public and private spheres, the book demonstrates how the Indian consumer was both imagined and informed and how the politics of consumption formed the consumer society in India. Shedding new light on consumer cultures in India, the book will be of interest to academics from interdisciplinary fields such as anthropology, history, geography, sociology, South Asian studies and area studies, popular and visual cultures.

* Offers a comprehensive discussion of how different agencies handle the challenges faced by police today. * Gives rare voice to the experiences, views, and perspectives of those tasked with doing policing across a variety of cultures. * Offers a global perspective not available in most works on policing.

The third film in the popular 'X-Men' film franchise. When a private laboratory supported by the government finds the cure for the mutants, using the DNA of a powerful boy, the mutants have the option of giving up their powers and becoming human. However, Magneto (Ian McKellen) opposes and decides to join a force to fight against the government and kill the mutant boy. Meanwhile, Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) resurrects uncontrolled by Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and with the personality of the powerful Dark Phoenix. She destroys Cyclops (James Marsden) and Xavier, and allies to the evil forces of Magneto, making them almost invincible.

Hugh Jackman reprises his role as clawed mutant Wolverine (formerly James Logan) in this blockbuster superhero action sequel based on the Marvel Comics strip. Set at a time following 'X-Men 3' (2006), Logan finds himself vulnerable, alone and at his lowest point, after losing his intimate connections with the outside world. Drawn to modern-day Japan by the gratitude of a wealthy industrialist from his past who secretly covets his healing powers, Logan soon finds himself up against the deadly charms of a femme fatale known as 'The Viper' (Svetlana Khodchenkova), whilst having to confront samurai steel and lethal ninjas as his destiny draws him towards a winner-takes-all battle with his ultimate foe, 'The Silver Samurai' (Will Yun Lee).

Hailed as the beneficiary, driving force and result of globalisation, India 's middle-class is puzzling in its diversity, as a multitude of traditions, social formations and political constellations manifest contribute to this project. This book looks at Indian middle-class lifestyles through a number of case studies, ranging from a historical account detailing the making of a savvy middle-class consumer in the late colonial period, to saving clubs among women in Delhi 's upmarket colonies and the dilemmas of entrepreneurial families in Tamil Nadu 's industrial towns.

The book pays tribute to the diversity of regional, caste, rural and urban origins that shape middle- class lifestyles in contemporary India and highlights common themes, such as the quest for upward mobility, common consumption practices, the importance of family values, gender relations and educational trajectories. It unpacks the notion that the Indian middle-class can be understood in terms of public performances, surveys and economic markers, and emphasises how the study of middle-class culture needs to be based on detailed studies, as everyday practices and private lives create the distinctive sub-cultures and cultural politics that characterise the Indian middle class today. With its focus on private domains middleclassness appears as a carefully orchestrated and complex way of life and presents a fascinating way to understand South Asian cultures and communities through the prism of social class.

By zooming in on urban localities in India and by unpacking the 'meaning of the local' for those who live in them, the ten papers in this volume redress a recurrent asymmetry in contemporary debates about globalisation. In much literature, the global is associated with transnationalism, dynamism and activity, and the local with static identities and history. Focusing on a range of locales in India's metropolitan areas and provincial small towns, the contributions move beyond the assertion that space is socially constructed to explore the ways in which social and political relations are themselves spatially and historically contingent. Using detailed ethnography, the authors highlight the vitality of place-making in the lives of urban dwellers and the centrality of a 'politics of place' in the production of power, difference and inequality. The volume illustrates how urban spaces are increasingly interconnected through wider social and spatial processes, while local boundaries and group-based identities are at the same time reconstructed, and often even consolidated, through the use of 'traditional' idioms and localised practices. All contributions relate detailed case studies of everyday activities to a range of contemporary debates that highlight various spatial aspects of cultural identities, economic restructuring and political processes in India. The volume provides an interdisciplinary perspective on urban life in rapidly changing political and economic environments. It offers a contribution to policy-orientated debates on urban livelihoods and urban planning as well as a wealth of ethnographic material for those interested in the spatial dimensions of urban life in India.

By zooming in on urban localities in India and by unpacking the 'meaning of the local' for those who live in them, the ten papers in this volume redress a recurrent asymmetry in contemporary debates about globalisation. In much literature, the global is associated with transnationalism, dynamism and activity, and the local with static identities and history. Focusing on a range of locales in India's metropolitan areas and provincial small towns, the contributions move beyond the assertion that space is socially constructed to explore the ways in which social and political relations are themselves spatially and historically contingent. Using detailed ethnography, the authors highlight the vitality of place-making in the lives of urban dwellers and the centrality of a 'politics of place' in the production of power, difference and inequality. The volume illustrates how urban spaces are increasingly interconnected through wider social and spatial processes, while local boundaries and group-based identities are at the same time reconstructed, and often even consolidated, through the use of 'traditional' idioms and localised practices. All contributions relate detailed case studies of everyday activities to a range of contemporary debates that highlight various spatial aspects of cultural identities, economic restructuring and political processes in India. The volume provides an interdisciplinary perspective on urban life in rapidly changing political and economic environments. It offers a contribution to policy-orientated debates on urban livelihoods and urban planning as well as a wealth of ethnographic material for those interested in the spatial dimensions of urban life in India.

John Richardson is an Oscar-winning special effects supervisor and designer, who has been involved in over 100 movies, including nine James Bond adventures, all eight Harry Potter films, Aliens, Superman, A Bridge Too Far, Straw Dogs, The Omen, Cliffhanger, Far and Away, Willow . . . and many, many more. In creating the magic that flows through these films - by creating huge explosions, beheading people, producing futuristic gadgets, making a man fly or breathing life into creatures that amaze and haunt us - Richardson has come to hold a unique place in cinema history. The son of pioneering FX technician Cliff Richardson, he learned his trade at the feet of a master of the craft. With over five decades of adventures under his belt, and a vast photographic collection of unseen pictures, Richardson now lifts the lid on his exciting and fascinating career of making movie magic.