Being diagnosed with cancer, even an incurable form, isn't necessarily the end of the world. Having lived with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow, for three years (and still counting!) the author shows that with a positive attitude and the right support it is still possible to cope and enjoy life. The book is intended to illustrate this to anyone finding themselves in a similar situation, to thank all who have helped him, a self-confessed coward, to keeping going, and to raise money for appropriate charities. The story begins with his admission to hospital where he spent five months, during which time he had an operation to remove at tumour from his spine, began radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments and almost died from a combination of pneumonia and septic shock. A transfer to a nursing-home for seven months followed, bringing with it more setbacks before he was able to move back home. Three years after his initial diagnosis, he is still defying the odds and he tells his tale in such a light-hearted way that despite the seriousness of the subject matter the overall feeling that the reader is left with is a very positive one and no-one could fail to be affected by such a heart-warming account. The author was diagnosed with an incurable, though thankfully treatable, form of cancer just before his 61st birthday while serving his notice after forty-three years working for the Lancashire Library service. This is the heart-warming and surprisingly amusing story of how this self-confessed coward managed to overcome his lifelong phobia of anything medical with the help of Su, his wife of almost forty years, his family and a loyal band of friends so that he continues to enjoy his retirement, though maybe not quite in the same way as he and Su might have expected it to be.

Iain Crichton Smith was a prolific and accomplished writer in English and Gaelic, as well as a capable dramatist, again in both languages, but it is as a poet above all that his reputation will endure. His principal collections are in English: Thistles and Roses (1961), Deer on the High Hills (1962), The Law and the Grace (1965), Hamlet in Autumn (1972), The Village and Other Poems (1989) and The Leaf and the Marble (1989); and in Gaelic Biobuill is Sanasan-Reice (Bibles and Adverts) (1965), Eadar Fealla-Dha is Glaschu (Between Fun and Glasgow) (1974) and Na h-Eilthirich (The Exiles) (1983). In them his subject matter deals with the Highlands, Scotland and the wider world and demonstrates familiarity with the literature of Europe and America and the literary movements of his time. This double CD contains recordings of Iain Crichton Smith reading his poems. Introductions and commentary by John Blackburn cover the major themes of his career: the struggle between light and dark and his ambivalent attitude towards religion, sometimes oppressive, sometimes full of grace. It is an excellent resource for home or classroom study, as well as providing an opportunity to hear one of the great poets of the twentieth century reading his own work.

Iain Crichton Smith was one of the foremost poets of the 20th century, writing in English and Gaelic. His poetry often concerns itself with unsentimental views of life in the Western Highlands and Islands, and his dislike of, and opposition to, dogmatic authority. John Blackburn's SCOTNOTE study guide analyses the religious, political and historical themes and patterns of Crichton Smith's work, and is a suitable guide for senior school pupils and students at all levels.

' B]lack comedy doesn't come blacker . . . This is Gothic diablerie with a smile - a very nasty smile, as though a Charles Addams character had escaped from his picture and perpetrated an elaborate practical joke in prose.' - "The Guardian"
' A] semi-surrealist, pseudo-Gothic adventure . . . Read on if you can; I could.' - "The Observer"
'John Blackburn is deservedly well established as a . . . thriller writer. "The Cyclops Goblet," his twenty-third, shows no falling off: it is admirably assured, and as admirably exciting.' - "British Book News"
Bill Easter and his common law wife Peggy Tey, two small-time crooks down on their luck, have been hired to help steal the legendary treasure of Renaissance goldsmith Guido Calamai. Calamai's masterpiece, the Cyclops Goblet, rumoured to possess the power to kill whoever drinks from it, is under lock and key at the Danemere Museum, the gift of the rich and eccentric millionaire Sir Thomas Moscow. But when the goblet is discovered to be a fake, Bill and Peggy must locate the real treasure, and to find it, they'll need to break Sir Thomas's daughter, a murderous madwoman, out of an asylum. From there, the trail leads to a remote Scottish island contaminated with anthrax, where the treasure - and the shocking truth behind its deadly power - is hidden. Unprepared for the horror they will uncover, will Bill and Peggy survive to enjoy their big payday, or will they become the next victims of the Cyclops Goblet?
John Blackburn (1923-1993) was regarded as the best British horror writer of his time, but in "The Cyclops Goblet" (1977), he shows a different side, infusing a thrilling heist story with elements of horror and dark humour. This first-ever republication of the novel includes a new introduction by Greg Gbur.

'A real creepy crawly ... Recommended to those who like their thrills chilled.' - "Evening Standard"
'John Blackburn lives right up to his reputation for the eerie and the sinister.' - "The Guardian"
'A stylish, genuinely chilling author. Blackburn's devils do not loom vaguely in the background, but seem unstoppable and are among the most malevolent portrayals in the genre.' - "St James Guide to Crime and Mystery Writers"
'An accomplished writer.' - "Spectator"
Three directors of the Van Traylen Fellowship have died in gruesome ways, and now a bus carrying children to the Fellowship's orphanage has crashed, killing the driver and injuring seven-year-old Mary Valley. While in hospital, Mary, the daughter of triple murderess Anna Harb, suffers horrifying nightmares, and psychiatrist Peter Haynes believes she is mentally ill. Is it schizophrenia, or is there another explanation for the strange and vivid images she sees: memories of a past life, psychic possession, or psychological trauma from her lunatic mother's attempts to give her occult powers? When Anna Harb goes on a murderous rampage at the hospital, trying to kill Mary and exclaiming that she is a 'soul that should never have been born', the mystery deepens. General Charles Kirk of Foreign Intelligence and his friend Marcus Levin, an esteemed scientist, believe Harb is connected with the Van Traylen deaths and are determined to solve the case. They will follow the madwoman to a remote Scottish island, where against the backdrop of a blazing Guy Fawkes night bonfire, a sinister and unthinkable truth will be revealed
John Blackburn (1923-1993) was unrivalled at blending the genres of mystery, horror, and science fiction into chilling, page-turning thrillers, and "Nothing but the Night" (1968) is one of his best and most frightening. This new edition, the first in over forty years, includes a new introduction by Greg Gbur.

"Our only current writer who can induce such terror as the Grimm Brothers did." - "Times Literary Supplement"
"He is certainly the best British novelist in his field and deserves the widest recognition." - "Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural"
" A] stylish, genuinely chilling author ... undoubtedly one of England's best practicing novelists in the tradition of the thriller novel." - " St. James Guide to Crime & Mystery Writers"
Bill Easter is a petty criminal with a little problem of a 2000 overdraft that he has no means of covering. Fortunately, the bank manager has a problem of his own and needs Bill's help: the corpse of Henry Oliver, a very hairy 350 lb. mass murderer known as the "Mad Vicar," is decomposing in his basement and he wants it removed. Among Oliver's papers, Bill finds a tantalizing reference to treasure that leads him to the Scottish isle of Rhona, where he meets the intrepid General Charles Kirk of British Foreign Intelligence and the arrogant adventurer J. Moldon Mott. Kirk has uncovered a bizarre plot involving the KGB, ex-Nazi mad scientists, and the "mad monk" Rasputin, while Mott is hot on the trail of a stolen gold treasure. And when they discover the island is being overrun by werewolves, their trip to the remote island will become a very beastly business indeed
"A Beastly Business" (1982) features the trademark blend of mystery, adventure, and horror that made John Blackburn (1923-1993) one of the most acclaimed British thriller writers of his generation. One of the scarcest of Blackburn's books and long unobtainable, "A Beastly Business" is reprinted here for the first time ever.

'John Blackburn is today's master of horror, and this latest novel, about a village gripped by the culmination of ancient vileness, induces proper shivers.' - "Times Literary Supplement"
'He is certainly the best British novelist in his field and deserves the widest recognition.' - "Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural"
' A] stylish, genuinely chilling author . . . undoubtedly one of England's best practicing novelists in the tradition of the thriller novel.' - "St. James Guide to Crime & Mystery Writers"
For centuries, the small English village of Dunstonholme has been the scene of mysterious tragedies. Local lore traces these strange events back to the year 1300, when a sect of Christian heretics known as the Children of Paul were involved in a bloody massacre. Since that time, there have been railway disasters, mining accidents, shipwrecks, and other terrible happenings. Now a wave of suspicious deaths has the locals on edge and looking for explanations. Dr. Tom Allen and adventurer J. Moldon Mott think they know what is behind the killings: an ancient evil, dating back seven hundred years, lies hidden underground . . . and it is preparing to emerge to the surface . . .
John Blackburn (1923-1993), the author of twenty-eight bestselling thrillers, has been hailed by "The Times Literary Supplement" as 'today's master of horror.' In his classic "Children of the Night" (1966), reprinted here for the first time in 40 years, Blackburn updates medieval legends and folklore to create a bone-chilling tale of modern-day horror that is among his very best.

'Our only current writer who can induce such terror as the Grimm Brothers did.' - "Times Literary Supplement"
'Lots of unguessable surprises.' - "The Observer"
'He is certainly the best British novelist in his field and deserves the widest recognition.' - "Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural"
' A] stylish, genuinely chilling author . . . He can be depended upon to sustain swift, sure, exciting, and absorbing stories . . . undoubtedly one of England's best practicing novelists in the tradition of the thriller novel.' - "St James Guide to Crime & Mystery Writers"
'Come back Paddy Reilly to me' - the words of an old Irish ballad provide a sinister theme for John Blackburn's sixteenth novel, "The Household Traitors" (1971). No one has seen or heard from Patricia Reilly in more than thirty years, so why are a ruthless industrial tycoon, a Soviet defector, and a deranged serial killer all so anxious to find her? The trail of mystery leads from a town terrorized by murder to a remote railway station in North Wales, where the action reaches a climax aboard a runaway steam train. Along the way, a hijacked aircraft, a corpse in a safe, and a number of strangled women with something strange in common provide some of the clues, but the final secret is reserved for the last pages of this ingenious thriller. This is the first-ever reprint of "The Household Traitors," a page-turner with a 'strong Grand Guignol finish' (The Guardian) by 'today's master of horror' (Times Literary Supplement).

'This is an historical novel in the grand manner . . . A lot of research must have gone into the work, and the result is wholly satisfactory.' - "The Guardian"
'The versatile John Blackburn has deserted one kind of horror for quite another, diabolism for divinity.' - "Times Literary Supplement"
'An accomplished writer.' - "The Spectator"
The year is 37 A.D., and Rome faces a dangerous threat in the form of a new religion whose doctrines could undermine the entire foundation of the Empire. Sextus Marcellus Ennius, one of Rome's top spies, is dispatched to Jerusalem to investigate this cult and discredit its founder, a criminal named Jesus-bar-Joseph, who was rumoured to possess supernatural powers and reputedly rose from the dead after his execution. But as Sextus searches for the truth, he will be faced with dangers on all sides: the intrigues of the mad Emperor Caligula, traitors among his fellow Romans, and murderous religious zealots. And when he finally unravels the mystery, the truth is more terrible than he could have ever imagined . . .
Regarded by many critics as the best British horror writer of his time, John Blackburn (1923-1993) was the author of nearly thirty thrillers that blended the genres of horror, mystery, and science fiction in unique and inventive ways. "The Flame and the Wind" (1967), his most ambitious work, is an epic historical novel infused with elements of mystery and horror, told in the page-turning style for which he is known. This edition includes a new introduction by Greg Gbur and Bill Botten's striking black and white dust jacket art from the first edition.

Young bookseller John Cain has inherited stock from curmudgeonly dealer James Roach after he appears to have committed suicide. But Cain is unconvinced that Roach really died by his own hand, especially considering the alleged suicide followed the dead man's strange behavior at an auction where Roach had grossly overbid on a thin blue volume about mountain climbing. The book appeared to be as exciting as its title, 'Grey Boulders', but why had Roach been so obsessed with owning it and why is it now missing from Roach's collection?

"The story has a nightmarish excitement and maintains a brilliant pace . . . the best of its kind this season." - "Detroit News"
" S]pine-chilling . . . a far-reaching plot linking the horror camps of the Nazis, the frozen wastes of Russia and the work of British Secret Intelligence. . . . T]his is 'must' reading for horror fans." - "Calgary Herald"
"I began to read: and then read and read and read." - John Creasey, "Books of the Month"
"Good, insomniac science-fiction." - "Listener"
With a plot featuring Cold War intrigue, Nazi mad scientists, and a pandemic that threatens to destroy humanity by mutating people into fungoid monsters, it is not hard to see why "A Scent of New-Mown Hay" (1958) became a bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic and an instant science-fiction classic. After a British ship's crew and a remote Russian village are wiped out in mysterious and horrible fashion, General Charles Kirk of British Foreign Intelligence sets out to investigate. As the plague spreads to England, Kirk's frantic search leads him from the desolate tundra of Russia to the ruins of a Nazi camp, the site of unthinkable wartime atrocities. But who is responsible? Is it a Soviet experiment gone horribly wrong, the work of a depraved madman, or something else entirely? And can it be stopped?
In this, his first and still best-known novel, the prolific John Blackburn (1923-1993) introduced the formula he was to employ so successfully in his career, seamlessly blending mystery, horror, and science fiction to create a thrilling bestseller that readers found impossible to put down. This edition, the first in more than thirty years, includes a new introduction by Prof. Darren Harris-Fain and a reproduction of the scarce original jacket art by Peter Curl.

'Our only current writer who can induce such terror as the Grimm Brothers did.' - "Times Literary Supplement"
'He is certainly the best British novelist in his field and deserves the widest recognition.' - "Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural"
' A] stylish, genuinely chilling author ... He can be depended upon to sustain swift, sure, exciting, and absorbing stories ... undoubtedly one of England's best practicing novelists in the tradition of the thriller novel.' - "St James Guide to Crime & Mystery Writers"
An inexplicable wave of murders has the country gripped with terror. Ordinary men and women are suddenly going mad, committing brutal and horrific killings before slaying themselves in equally gruesome ways. General Charles Kirk of British Foreign Intelligence thinks the case has something to do with the most evil man he has ever encountered: Tommy Ryde, a British spy who defected to the Nazis during the Second World War and who seemed to possess a strange hypnotic power. But Ryde has been dead for forty years - or has he? Kirk and his colleague Bill Easter are determined to find out. The trail takes them first to Berlin to seek answers from a notorious Nazi war criminal, then to an underwater search of a sunken U-boat off the Scottish coast, and finally to the torture chambers beneath a madman's Gothic castle in Dartmoor, where they will come face to face with the living incarnation of evil ...
The last of the prolific John Blackburn's twenty-eight novels, "The Bad Penny" (1985) features the trademark blend of mystery, adventure, and horror that made him one of the most acclaimed British thriller writers of his generation. The scarcest of Blackburn's books and long unobtainable, "The Bad Penny" is reprinted here for the first time ever.

'John Blackburn is today's master of horror.' - "Times Literary Supplement"
'Achieves a delicious sense of nausea.' - "The Guardian"
' G]iant monsters . . . products of a mutation . . . bubonic plague ' - "The Observer"
'He is certainly the best British novelist in his field and deserves the widest recognition.' - "Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural"
A remote area of the Scottish Highlands has been cordoned off and is being guarded by an army of I.R.A. mercenaries and ex-Nazi thugs. Local rumour has it that eccentric laird James Fraser Clyde is looking for buried treasure, but the British government fears he might be building an atomic bomb in an attempt to win Scottish independence. Yet the truth may be something far worse: a mysterious contagion is turning the locals into deformed, grunting creatures, with a single-minded urge to kill and spread their infection. Sir Marcus Levin, the Nobel Prize-winning bacteriologist, must find a way to halt the epidemic before it gets out of hand and destroys the world. But what is causing it? Who started it, and why? And can it be stopped?
First published in 1976, John Blackburn's horror thriller "The Face of the Lion" capitalized on the popularity of apocalyptic zombie tales in the wake of George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" (1968). This edition includes a new introduction by Greg Gbur, which situates Blackburn's novel within the tradition of zombie literature.

"Our only current writer who can induce such terror as the Grimm Brothers did." - "Times Literary Supplement"
"A real chiller. . . . The book moves rapidly from beginning to end and Hitchcock ought to be advised. It would make a heck of a movie." - "Evening News"
"He is certainly the best British novelist in his field and deserves the widest recognition." - "Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural"
When a dead prostitute is found floating in the river, the local police assume it's just another routine murder. But when it turns out the woman may have been a notorious East German spy, General Charles Kirk and his assistants, Michael Howard and Penny Wise, are called in from the Foreign Intelligence Office to investigate. Kirk is baffled: the evidence of numerous impeccable witnesses proves the murder could not possibly have happened, and yet there's a dead body in the morgue to show that it did. The only clue is a wooden idol in the form of a hideous, misshapen boy, found in the dead woman's room. Soon Kirk realizes that this is no case of espionage: what he is up against is an evil centuries old and long thought vanished from the earth. And when Kirk and his colleagues get close to the truth, can they unravel the mystery before they become the next victims?
John Blackburn (1923-1993) was the author of more than thirty popular thrillers in which he blended the genres of mystery, horror, and science fiction in unique and often brilliant ways. Although recognized as the best British horror writer of his time, his works have been sadly neglected since his death. This new edition of "Broken Boy" (1959), Blackburn's third novel, includes a new introduction by Greg Gbur.

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Title: The Overland Traveller, or Guide to persons proceeding to Europe via the Red Sea, from India. With maps.]Publisher: British Library, Historical Print EditionsThe British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It is one of the world's largest research libraries holding over 150 million items in all known languages and formats: books, journals, newspapers, sound recordings, patents, maps, stamps, prints and much more. Its collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial additional collections of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 300 BC.The HISTORY OF TRAVEL collection includes books from the British Library digitised by Microsoft. This collection contains personal narratives, travel guides and documentary accounts by Victorian travelers, male and female. Also included are pamphlets, travel guides, and personal narratives of trips to and around the Americas, the Indies, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. ++++The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification: ++++ British Library Blackburn, John; 1838. 70, 24, xii. p.; 8 . 10056.bbb.12.

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.