Advent is a time of reflection. We wonder about the great theme of darkness and light. We think about what it is to have faith, and to be peaceful and joyful, even when the world seems a dangerous and unreliable place. And we look again at the extraordinary claim that the God who made the heavens came among us as one of us. Based on the Lectionary readings for Year B, these daily thoughts include reflections on beautiful poems, prayers, explorations of Bible verses and questions to ponder. Challenging, thought-provoking and inspirational, these daily reflections will help us to think, pray and be aware of God's presence in new ways this Advent.

In The Greeks, Ian Morris and Barry B. Powell try to see ancient Greece as a whole: not just a narrative of events or an overview of culture, but history and culture taken together. From ancient Greece comes the modern conviction that through open discussion and the exercise of reason a society of free citizens can solve the problems that challenge it. In one period of Greek history, a society just so governed produced timeless masterpieces of literature, art, and rational thought at the same time that it waged terrible wars and committed countless cruelties. If we understand the past, we can live better in the present, but the past is hard to understand. In The Greeks, Morris and Powell offer new ways of thinking about old problems.

The Doctor (Patrick Troughton), Jamie and Zoe arrive on the peaceful planet Dulcis for a holiday, only to find it invaded by the cruel Dominators and their vicious robot servitors, the Quarks. They must convince the placid Dulcians of the threat their world faces before the Dominators enslave them and destroy their world.

A collection of previously lost, now restored episodes - known by fans as the 'orphaned' episodes - from the legendary Doctor Who series. Episodes are: 'The Crusade' (1); 'The Crusade' (3) - with commentary by Julian Glover and Gary Russell; 'The Daleks' Master Plan' (2) - with commentary by Peter Purves, Kevin Stoney and Ray Cusick; 'The Daleks' Master Plan' (5); 'The Daleks' Master Plan' (10); 'The Celestial Toymaker' (4); 'The Underwater Menace (3)'; 'The Moonbase' (2); 'The Moonbase' (4); 'The Faceless Ones' (1); 'The Faceless Ones' (3); 'The Evil of the Daleks (2) - with commentary by Deborah Watling and Gary Russell; 'The Abominable Snowmen' (2) - with commentary by Deborah Watling and Gary Russell; 'The Enemy of the World' (3); 'The Web of Fear' (1) - with commentary by Deborah Watling, Derrick Sherwin and Gary Russell; 'The Wheel in Space (3)'; 'The Wheel in Space (6) - with commentary by Derrick Sherwin and Tristan de Vere Cole; and 'The Space Pirates' (2). 'Audio only' episodes are: 'The Crusade' (2); 'The Crusade' (4); 'The Moonbase' (1); and 'The Moonbase' (3).

Patrick Troughton stars as the Doctor in this 1967 TV serial set on the Moon. In 2070 the Doctor and his travelling companions Jamie (Frazer Hines), Polly (Anneke Wills) and Ben (Michael Craze) arrive on the Moon and set out to visit the Moonbase, a manned structure used to control the Earth's weather through a device known as the Gravitron. All is not well on the Moonbase, however, with many of its crew suffering from a mysterious virus. It isn't long before the base is quarantined, leaving the Doctor, Jamie, Polly and Ben to try to get to the bottom of events and to deal with the increasing threat posed by the Cybermen, who appear to have infiltrated the base. With two of the original episodes missing, animated reconstructions are used to complete the story.

This volume is the first English-language survey of Homeric studies to appear for more than a generation, and the first such work to attempt to cover all fields comprehensively. Thirty leading scholars from Europe and America provide short, authoritative overviews of the state of knowledge and current controversies in the many specialist divisions in Homeric studies. The chapters pay equal attention to literary, mythological, linguistic, historical, and archaeological topics, ranging from such long-established problems as the "Homeric Question" to newer issues like the relevance of narratology and computer-assisted quantification. The collection, the third publication in Brill's handbook series, The Classical Tradition, will be valuable at every level of study - from the general student of literature to the Homeric specialist seeking a general understanding of the latest developments across the whole range of Homeric scholarship. Originally published in hardcover

The entire second season of the 1970s BBC sci-fi series. 'Redemption' sees Orac's prediction of the Liberator's destruction looking likely to be fulfilled when the ship's original owners arrive and take the rebels prisoner. In 'Shadow', Blake becomes involved with an interplanetary crime syndicate. 'Weapon' sees Blake and crew set out to steal a deadly 'delayed-effect' gun, which Servalan also wishes to possess. In 'Horizon', the Liberator heads for the edge of the Galaxy, only to be taken prisoner on the planet Horizon. 'Pressure Point' sees Blake attempting to destroy the Federation's control centre, only to walk into a trap set by Travis. In 'Trial', Travis is made a scapegoat by Servalan for their failure to capture Blake. 'Killer' sees Blake and his crew stumbling upon a derelict spaceship whilst on a mission to crack the Federation's new transmission code. The craft houses a deadly plague which could threaten the existence of the entire universe. In 'Hostage', Travis tries to trap Blake by kidnapping his cousin, Inga. 'Countdown' sees Blake and crew coming to the aid of the planet Albian, whose population are dying from radiation poisoning. In 'Voice from the Past', a telepathic signal forces Blake to reroute the Liberator to an asteroid where Travis lies in wait. Whilst 'Gambit' sees Blake, Cally and Jenna visit a gambling world to find the man who knows the location of the Federation's Star One. Avon and Villa, meanwhile, choose to take Orac on an illicit gambling spree. In 'The Keeper', Blake tries to obtain the key to Star One from a tribal chief on the planet Goth. However, Travis has beaten him to it. Finally, 'Star One' sees Blake at last launch his attack on the Federation's headquarters, unaware that an alien fleet is poised to invade.

Widely acclaimed re-telling of the classic story from the 1970s. Generally regarded as being one of the better adaptations of Bram Stoker's classic tale, this version features a standout performance by Louis Jourdan as the Count, and benefits by remaining faithful to the original storyline. Jonathan Harker (Bosco Hogan) travels to Transylvania to help the Count prepare for his move to England. After succumbing to the Count's powers, Harker is kept prisoner in Dracula's castle before returning to England, determined to destroy the vampire.