For nearly eighty years, a huge portion of coastal South Africa was closed off to the public. With many of its pits now deemed “overmined” and abandoned, American journalist Matthew Gavin Frank sets out across the infamous Diamond Coast to investigate an illicit trade that supplies a global market. Immediately, he became intrigued by the ingenious methods used in facilitating smuggling particularly, the illegal act of sneaking carrier pigeons onto mine property, affixing diamonds to their feet, and sending them into the air.

Entering Die Sperrgebiet (“The Forbidden Zone”) is like entering an eerie ghost town, but Frank is surprised by the number of people willing—even eager—to talk with him. Soon he meets Msizi, a young diamond digger, and his pigeon, Bartholomew, who helps him steal diamonds. It’s a deadly game: pigeons are shot on sight by mine security, and Msizi knows of smugglers who have disappeared because of their crimes. For this, Msizi blames “Mr. Lester,” an evil tall-tale figure of mythic proportions.

From the mining towns of Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth, through the “halfway” desert, to Kleinzee’s shores littered with shipwrecks, Frank investigates a long overlooked story. Weaving interviews with local diamond miners who raise pigeons in secret with harrowing anecdotes from former heads of security, environmental managers, and vigilante pigeon hunters, Frank reveals how these feathered bandits became outlaws in every mining town.

Interwoven throughout this obsessive quest are epic legends in which pigeons and diamonds intersect, such as that of Krishna’s famed diamond Koh-i-Noor, the Mountain of Light, and that of the Cherokee serpent Uktena. In these strange connections, where truth forever tangles with the lore of centuries past, Frank is able to contextualize the personal grief that sent him, with his wife Louisa in the passenger seat, on this enlightening journey across parched lands.

Blending elements of reportage, memoir, and incantation, Flight of the Diamond Smugglers is a rare and remarkable portrait of exploitation and greed in one of the most dangerous areas of coastal South Africa.

New from the publishers of various best-selling learner and driver manuals, Just the test is perfect for anyone wanting to put in some additional practice before taking the learner’s test. With over 160 questions ranging from rules of the road, warning signs, information signs and road surface markings to vehicle controls, motorcycles and regulatory signs, you will be fully accustomed to the style of questions employed in the actual learner’s licence test once you have completed this test a few times. Where necessary, to aid the learning process questions are accompanied by full- colour road signs and markings. It also includes a handy section on the learner’s licence test requirements, licence codes and electronic testing.

Revised and updated with a bright new cover to match, The new official K53 manual is a comprehensive and cost-effective guide to passing your learner’s licence and K53 driver’s licence the ?rst time. Covering both light and heavy motor vehicles, and motorcycles, each chapter discusses the knowledge and skills expected of the learner driver/rider. The learner’s section explains the K53 defensive driving principles, road signs and rules of the road, with questions and detailed answers to test the learner’s knowledge. At the end of this section there is a mock test similar to that compiled by traffic departments. A new and useful section which summarises additional items in the legislation has been slotted in after the test. The driver’s section explains how candidates are tested and what examiners look out for, with step-by-step instructions on how to perform every manoeuvre in both the yard and road tests. With detailed, full-colour illustrations throughout, this is the definitive manual for both the learner’s and driver’s tests. The manual’s content is also the basis for an optional link to an online self-test facility.

Precedents for Applications in Civil Proceedings has been written to assist all, from aspirant novices to experienced practitioners.

The book contains more than 100 examples covering an extensive range of more than 50 subjects, with commentary on the requirements of applications and the identification of typical defences.

Precedents for Applications in Civil Proceedings comprises four parts: Part 1 - Introduction and General Guidelines: advice on drafting with emphasis on application papers; Part 2 - Generic Applications and General Matters: generic applications such as interdicts, reviews, appellate applications and the like; Part 3 - Procedural, Interlocutory and Incidental Applications Matters: An extensive range of interlocutory, incidental and procedural applications; Part 4 - Specific Substantive Applications: Comprising a wide range of subjects with commentary and precedents thereon.

Wilfrid Cooper was a rare man during the dark days of apartheid: an advocate whose career coincided almost perfectly with the rise and fall of the Nationalist government, intersecting eerily with that of its “architect” HF Verwoerd, and yet a man whose enlightened principles and liberal thinking saw him regularly defending those less fortunate.

His storied legal career saw him embroiled in numerous political affairs throughout the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. He represented, among others, Verwoerd’s assassin Dimitri Tsafendas; the SWAPO Six in Swakopmund; the families of Imam Abdullah Haron, Mapetla Mohapi and Hoossen Haffajee and others who died “jumping down stairwells while in detention” or hanged by their own jeans in their cells; and Steven Biko and other activists who were arrested by the security police in the dead of night. There were also the highprofile criminal cases, including the original Kebble-style “assisted suicide” of Baron Dieter van Schauroth and the scandalous case of the Scissors Murderess Marlene Lehnberg.

Wilfrid Cooper reached the peak of his considerable legal prowess in a time when South Africans led a parallel existence, the majority downtrodden while white privilege reigned serenely in the suburbs – a time that could have easily provided him a less controversial career had he desired. And yet even as he and his gregarious wife Gertrude enjoyed wonderful and very sociable years in their Newlands home in Cape Town – an area that was itself remodelled under the Group Areas Act – he chose to walk the path less taken in the shadow of Devil’s Peak. This is his story.

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.

Dinosaur fans will quickly become dinosaur experts with this informative, inventive and entertaining take on a dinosaur book! Do you know all there is to know about dinosaurs? They're mean, green and not very smart, right? Well, this book is here to show you that you're WRONG! But don't worry, even the experts can't be right all the time . . . So, let's uncover the truth! From fossilised feathers to long-necked lookalikes, this ingenious book is packed with so many amazing dinosaur discoveries, you'll soon become a palaeontology pro. Including jaw-dropping research that will debunk many myths about all kinds of prehistoric creatures - you'll never look at a pigeon the same way again! With fascinating, friendly and easy-to-understand text written by zoologist Dr. Nick Crumpton and amazingly detailed colour artwork on every page, this beautifully produced hardback gift book with an incredible tactile cover will delight dinosaur fans of any age. Also available in the series Everything You Know About Minibeasts is Wrong! Everything You Know About Sharks is Wrong! Everything You Know About the Human Body is Wrong!

George Michael was an extravagantly gifted, openhearted soul singer whose work was both pained and smolderingly erotic. He was a songwriter of true craft and substance, and his music swept the world, starting in the mid-1980s. His fabricated image―that of a hypermacho sex god―loomed large in the pop culture of his day. It also hid―for a time―the secret he fought against revealing: Michael was gay.

Soon his obsession with fame would start to backfire. As one of the industry’s most privileged yet tortured men began to self-destruct, the press showed little sympathy. George Michael: A Life explores the compelling story of a superstar whose struggles, as well as his songs, continue to touch fans all over the world.

Acclaimed music biographer James Gavin traces Michael’s metamorphosis from the shy and awkward Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou into the swaggering, dominant half of the leading British pop duo of the 1980s Wham! He then details Michael’s sensational solo career and its subsequent unraveling. With deep analysis of the creative process behind Michael’s albums, tours, and music videos, as well as interviews with hundreds of his friends and colleagues, George Michael: A Life is a probing, definitive portrait of a pop legend.

New York City-set action thriller starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon. When a Manhattan bicycle courier (Gordon-Leavitt) picks up an envelope from Columbia University, he has no idea that its contents are of crucial interest to a corrupt police officer (Shannon). Tension builds as the cop relentlessly pursues the cyclist through the streets of the city, desperate to get his hands on the crucial package.

Four-film collection featuring Marvel Comics superheroes.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Hugh Jackman reprises his role as clawed mutant Wolverine (formerly James Logan) in this blockbuster superhero action prequel based on the Marvel comic strip. The film, set over the years leading up to the action 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.

Daredevil
For Daredevil, justice is blind, and for the guilty there's hell to pay. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner ignite dangerous sparks and nonstop thrills in this "dazzling action-adventure" (The Film Journal) about the newest breed of superhero. By day, blind attorney Matt Murdock (Affleck) toils for justice in Hell's Kitchen. By night, he's Daredevil, The Man Without Fear--a powerful, masked vigilante stalking the dark streets with an uncanny "radar sense" that allows him to "see" with superhuman capabilities. But when the love of his life, fiery Elektra Natchios (Garner), is targeted by New York City's ruthless Kingpin of crime (Michael Clarke Duncan) and his deadly assassin Bullseye (Colin Farrell), Daredevil may be about to meet his match.

Elektra
Jennifer Garner proves that looks can kill as the sexiest action hero to burst from the pages of Marvel Comics. Restored to life after sustaining mortal wounds in Daredevil, an icy, solitary Elektra (Garner) now lives only for death as the world's most lethal assassin. Using her bone-crunching martial arts skills and Kimagure (the ability to see into the future), Elektra is on a collision course with darkness until her latest assignment forces her to make a choice that will lead either to her redemption or destruction in the ultimate battle between good and evil.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Marvel's first family of superheroes, The Fantastic Four, meets their greatest challenge yet in Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer as the enigmatic, intergalactic herald, The Silver Surfer comes to Earth to prepare it for its destruction. As he races around the globe wreaking havoc, Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben must unravel the mystery of the Silver Surfer and confront the surprising return of their mortal enemy Dr. Doom before all hope is lost.

Joe Cole and Philip Davis star in this gritty British crime drama. After the death of his grandfather (Davis), a group of violent gangsters turn to young drug addict Johnny (Cole) to finish the job his grandfather started and open a safe for them. Chosen as the only one able to crack the safe and complete their heist, Johnny's drug habit threatens to compromise his task as withdrawal symptoms set in and he wrestles with the guilt of his grandfather's recent passing...

The Blue Diesel years covered in this book started in 1964 when British Railways steam still had another four years to go. The blue - in a slightly lighter shade than that which became standard - first appeared on a demonstration train of new Mk1 coaches with a repainted Brush Type 4 loco. It was the start of around 20 years of the blue era, regarded by many as a less interesting time in BR history. However, what the railway may have lacked in colour it made up for in the variety of locomotive classes, the great majority of which are illustrated in this attractive new album from Gavin Morrison.

Douglas Schulze directs this unconventional genre movie in which a group of horror fans get more than they bargained for when they find themselves immersed in their own nightmare. Russell (Taylor John Piedmonte) and Duane (Allen Maldonado) attend a horror convention where they listen to Alfonso Betz (Sid Haig) rail against the media presenting horror movies as an influence on real life murders. After the lecture, Russell and Duane meet Judith (Lauren Mae Shafer), an attractive fellow convention attendee who invites them to a party that night at an isolated farmhouse. Something bizarre happens at the party and Russell and Duane awake to find themselves under attack from hordes of zombies. As horror devotees, the pair are only too aware that their predicament eerily echoes the classic Romero movie 'Night of the Living Dead'. Will they be able to elude a traditional horror ending?

Marvel Entertainment was a moribund toymaker not even twenty years ago. Today, Marvel Studios is the dominant player both in Hollywood and in global pop culture. How did an upstart studio conquer the world? In MCU, beloved culture writers Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards draw on more than a hundred interviews with actors, producers, directors, and writers to present the definitive chronicle of Marvel Studios and its sole, ongoing production, the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For all its outward success, the studio was forged by near-constant conflict, from the contentious hiring of Robert Downey Jr. for its 2008 debut, Iron Man, all the way up to the disappointment of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and shocking departures of multiple Marvel executives in 2023. Throughout, the authors demonstrate that the original genius of Marvel was its resurrection and modification of Hollywood’s old studio system. But will it survive its own spectacular achievements? Dishy and authoritative, MCU is the first book to tell the Marvel Studios story in full—and an essential, effervescent account of American mass culture.

Part of the How to Help series of books exploring issues commonly faced by children and young people at home and in school, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) offers a complete introduction to this complex and often confusing topic. A lack of clarity can arise for many reasons, including the broad spectrum of characteristics and symptoms that can be represented within an ASD diagnosis (ranging from the very severe, requiring 24-hour monitoring, to the mild but no less important, where the individual can be successfully included in education and society), and the many competing interventions and treatments all purporting to be successful. Arguing that every child and young person with autism can and should lead an inclusive and fulfilling life, Jo-Ann Page and Gavin Reid show that it is up to us as adults to ensure that this is possible - and show how parents, carers, teachers and schools can help.

From the master of rhyme comes a sweet tale of an alpaca who turns into a unicorn! Now here's a tall tale (in fact it's a cracker) all about Frank, a curious alpaca. Although Frank's daily life appeared simple enough, Frank was soooo nervous, it made things quite tough! Frank lives in a petting zoo, full of wonderful cuddly animals and the children who visit them. But he feels like he doesn't fit in and he hides so the children can't laugh at him and his silly ears. But one day he discovers a book about unicorns . . . and wakes up to a horn (ice-cream cone) on his head! His dream has come true - he is a fabulous unicorn and feels loved and confident in himself. And when he performs a daring rescue he comes to see that he is perfect just the way he is. Adorable black and white illustrations on every page from debut illustrator India Joseph.

The Whitbread 2000 Book of the Year is a haunting and captivating work of historical fiction for children. The Coram man takes babies and money from desperate mothers, promising to deliver them safely to a Foundling Hospital in London. Instead, he murders them and buries them by the roadside, to the helpless horror of his mentally ill son, Mish. Mish saves one, Aaron, who grows up happily unaware of his history, proving himself a promising musician. As Aaron's new life takes him closer to his real family, the watchful Mish makes a terrible mistake, delivering Aaron and his best friend Toby back into the hands of the Coram man. It tells the story of a dark time in English history. Fans of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Goodnight Mr Tom will love this. A great read for children aged 10+. Look out for Jamilla's other titles: The Eye of the Horse The Robber Baron's Daughter The Track of the Wind Wheel of Surya Coram Boy won the 2000 Whitbread Children's Book of the Year, was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and has been adapted into a highly acclaimed stage play. Jamila Gavin was born in Mussoorie, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas. With an Indian father and an English mother, she inherited two rich cultures which ran side by side throughout her life, and which always made her feel she belonged to both countries. The family finally settled in England where Jamila completed her schooling, was a music student, worked for the BBC and became a mother of two children. It was then that she began writing children's books, and felt a need to reflect the multi-cultural world in which she and her children now lived.