From 1840-57, Heinrich Ernst was one of the most famous and significant European musicians, and performed on stage, often many times, with Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt, Wagner, Alkan, Clara Schumann, and Joachim. It is a sign of his importance that, in 1863, Brahms gave two public performances in Vienna of his own and Ernst's music to raise money for the now mortally ill violinist. Berlioz described Ernst as 'one of the artists whom I love the most, and with whose talent I am most sympathetique', while Joachim was in no doubt that Ernst was 'the greatest violinist I ever heard; he towered above the others'. Many felt that he surpassed the expressive and technical achievements of Paganini, but Ernst, unlike his great predecessor, was also a tireless champion of public chamber music, and did more than any other early nineteenth-century violinist to make Beethoven's late quartets widely known and appreciated. Ernst was not only a great virtuoso but also an accomplished composer. He wrote two of the most popular pieces of the nineteenth century - the Elegy and the Carnival of Venice - and he is best known today for two solo pieces which represent the ne plus ultra of technical difficulty: the transcription of Schubert's Erlking, and the sixth of his Polyphonic Studies, the variations on The Last Rose of Summer. Perhaps he made his greatest contribution to music through his influence on Liszt's outstanding masterpiece, the B minor piano sonata. In 1849, Liszt conducted Ernst playing his own Concerto Pathetique, a substantial single-movement work, in altered sonata form, using thematic transformation. Soon after this performance, Liszt wrote his Grosses Konzertsolo (1849-50), his first extended single-movement work, using altered sonata form, and thematic transformation. This is now universally acknowledged to be the immediate forerunner of the sonata, which refines and develops all these techniques. Liszt made his debt clear when, three years after completi

We all know the basic vital signs that indicate being alive, but true vitality means really feeling alive: feeling energised, invigorated, enthusiastic and optimistic every day. Through his work as a lifestyle-medicine practitioner, Dr Mark Rowe has come to see how the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our wellbeing all impact on our health and our ability to stay well. Getting all these elements working in an interconnected, synergistic way forms the essence of vitality, or 'the VitalityMark' as Dr Rowe has come to define it. The Vitality Mark helps you to identify the gaps in your wellbeing and offers a programme to make small, sustainable improvements that will increase your vitality over time and put the bounce back in your step. 'I promise that reading this book will change your life ... one small, simple step at a time.' Dr. Doireann O'Leary 'Dr. Rowe's book comes to help save the day, save your life and, most importantly, add life to your years as well as your days.' Dr. Beth Frates, Harvard Medical School

This brand-new guide to the Isle of Wight forms part of Bradt's top-selling, award-winning series of Slow travel guides to UK regions. Written by expert author and journalist Mark Rowe, who has visited the island over 30 times since first spending childhood holidays there, it is the perfect companion to help you get the most out of your visit, replete with not just all the practical information you could need, but also all the descriptive detail, anecdote and insider tips to make time spent there truly enjoyable and memorable. The Isle of Wight is an island that is astonishingly - and unexpectedly - rich in food producers, wildlife, natural beauty, history, archaeology and dramatic landscapes. This is all the more remarkable for it being so close to the densely populated southern edges of England. At just 25 miles x 13 miles, in no other equivalent-sized area of Britain is there such a variety of landscapes (downland, estuaries, hills, saltmarshes, meadows, riverine, beach) or such a concentration of food producers (50+ independents at the last count). Here there is a real Island culture, a creative spirit that is quite quirky and independent. Bradt's Isle of Wight includes where to go to see red squirrels, where to hire e-bikes, where to go foraging and where is best for families. It also covers historic and present quirks, curiosities and attractions, including Jimi Hendrix's unusual love affair with the island, a day in the life of a ferry master, tree climbing, World War II history, night-time wildlife, the annual walk at low tide to explore the wildlife underneath Ryde's grand Victorian pier, the island's award-winning wines and its dinosaur fossil-rich beaches - of which it has more than anywhere else in the UK! With 20 maps, including regional, walking and cycling maps, you'll be well placed to navigate your way from one point of interest to another. Whatever your interest, Bradt's Isle of Wight will help you to plan and enjoy a visit to remember.

This new, thoroughly updated second edition of Bradt's Outer Hebrides: The Western Isles of Scotland, from Lewis to Barra by experienced writer and journalist Mark Rowe is the only full-size guide to focus solely on the islands of Lewis, Harris, St Kilda, Berneray, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, Eriskay, Barra and Vatersay. Masses of background information is included, from geography and geology to art and architecture, with significant coverage of wildlife, too, as well as all the practical details you could need: when to visit, suggested itineraries, public holidays and festivals, local culture, plus accommodation and where to eat and drink. Walkers, birdwatchers, wildlife photographers, beach lovers and genealogists are all catered for, and this is an ideal guide for those who travel simply with curious minds to discover far-flung places of great cultural, historical and wildlife interest. The Outer Hebrides is an archipelago of 14 inhabited islands and more than 50 others that are free of human footprint. Huge variations in landscape are found across the islands, from Lewisian gneiss, which dates back almost three billion years, to rugged Harris with its magnificent sands running down its western flanks and the windswept, undulating flatness and jagged sea lochs of the Uists. This is a land where Gaelic is increasingly spoken and ancient monuments abound, where stunning seabird colonies and birds of prey can be watched, and where the grassy coastal zones known as the machair are transformed into glorious carpets of wildflowers in late spring and summer. Whether visiting the Standing Stones of Callanish, the Uig peninsula, Barra's Castlebay, or historic St Kilda, or if you just want to experience the romance of the Sound of Harris, one of the most beautiful ferry journeys in the world, Bradt's Outer Hebrides: The Western Isles of Scotland, from Lewis to Barra has all the information you need.

Bradt's new guide to Orkney is written by experienced writer and journalist Mark Rowe, author of Bradt's hugely popular guide to the Outer Hebrides and something of a specialist in more remote parts of Scotland. Orkney comprises 70 islands, 19 inhabited, and the focus of this guide is the 13 major inhabited islands. Masses of background information is included, from geography and geology to architecture and archaeology, with significant coverage of wildlife, too, as well as all the practical details you could need: when to visit, suggested itineraries, public holidays and festivals, local culture, plus accommodation and where to eat and drink. Wildlife lovers, walkers, bird-watchers, beach lovers, archaeology enthusiasts, genealogists, foodies, couples seeking escape and cyclists are all catered for, and this is an ideal guide for those who travel simply with curious minds to discover far-flung places of great cultural, historical and wildlife interest. Orkney is extraordinary. Home to Skara Brae, the most important Stone-Age village in northern Europe, it is also the site of the Neolithic henge of the Ring of Brodgar and Maeshowe chambered tomb, the entrance to which is aligned with the setting sun on the winter solstice. In fact, Orkney has so many archaeological sites it has its own Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site. Here, too, you'll find the Old Man of Hoy, a spectacular 140m-high sea stack, Scapa Flow, scene of the dramatic scuttling of the German Fleet in 1919, and Marwick Head nature reserve, the definitive wildlife location, dramatically perched on cliffs and a wonder-world for bird lovers. The archipelago also offers the world's shortest scheduled commercial flight - just 60 seconds, between Westray and Papa Westray - and is the location of the UK's most northerly distilleries. Food lovers won't be disappointed either with an astonishing number of local food outlets and family producers, some going back more than 100 years. Whatever your interest, whatever time of year you visit, and whether you're a first-time or repeat visitor, Bradt's Orkney is the ideal companion for a successful visit.

Between May and October 1940, following Hitler's invasion of western Europe and the evacuation of the Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk, it was feared that the Germans would invade Britain. Over a million men volunteered for the Home Guard, beaches were covered with barbed wire, and pillboxes were scattered across the countryside. But even amid this frenzy of preparation, many Britons were indifferent to the perceived threat. In Don't Panic, Mark Rowe presents the definitive account of Britain's 'finest hour'. Using diaries, official documents and many previously unpublished photographs, he recounts the history of the invasion that never was, including how Churchill interfered with the defence of Whitehall, the many false alarms such as the 'Battle of Bewdley', and the general who boasted his orders were 'grandiloquent b*ll*cks'. Moreover, it shows how the people of Britain sought to defend their island against a truly formidable enemy, and how their preparations arguably prevented the invasion from ever taking place.

From 1840-57, Heinrich Ernst was one of the most famous and significant European musicians, and performed on stage, often many times, with Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt, Wagner, Alkan, Clara Schumann, and Joachim. It is a sign of his importance that, in 1863, Brahms gave two public performances in Vienna of his own and Ernst's music to raise money for the now mortally ill violinist. Berlioz described Ernst as 'one of the artists whom I love the most, and with whose talent I am most sympathetique', while Joachim was in no doubt that Ernst was 'the greatest violinist I ever heard; he towered above the others'. Many felt that he surpassed the expressive and technical achievements of Paganini, but Ernst, unlike his great predecessor, was also a tireless champion of public chamber music, and did more than any other early nineteenth-century violinist to make Beethoven's late quartets widely known and appreciated. Ernst was not only a great virtuoso but also an accomplished composer. He wrote two of the most popular pieces of the nineteenth century - the Elegy and the Carnival of Venice - and he is best known today for two solo pieces which represent the ne plus ultra of technical difficulty: the transcription of Schubert's Erlking, and the sixth of his Polyphonic Studies, the variations on The Last Rose of Summer. Perhaps he made his greatest contribution to music through his influence on Liszt's outstanding masterpiece, the B minor piano sonata. In 1849, Liszt conducted Ernst playing his own Concerto Pathetique, a substantial single-movement work, in altered sonata form, using thematic transformation. Soon after this performance, Liszt wrote his Grosses Konzertsolo (1849-50), his first extended single-movement work, using altered sonata form, and thematic transformation. This is now universally acknowledged to be the immediate forerunner of the sonata, which refines and develops all these techniques. Liszt made his debt clear when, three years after completi

The diversity of contemporary investigative approaches included in this volume provides an exciting account of our current understanding of brain mechanisms responsible for sensory and perceptual experience in the areas of touch, kinesthesia, and pain.
Postgraduate research students in sensory physiology, neurology, psychology and anatomy, and researchers themselves will find that this volume addresses many of the key issues in our attempts to understand the neural mechanisms that mediate sensory experience arising from the body as a whole, the so-called somatic senses, in particular for touch and pain. The volume provides a record of the occasion of the St Petersburg IUPS symposium, chaired by the editors of this volume, and includes some added recent contributions from other leading international figures in the field. Brought together under the sponsoring banner of the IUPS Commission for Somatosensory Physiology and Pain, these scientists with their different experimental approaches seek collectively to understand the brain mechanisms that underlie our own nature and experience.