In this starkly humorous novel, set in post World-War 2 England, we experience the realities of life on the sprawling, sooty streets of Yorkshire. Martin Rooney is a young man, scarred by a childhood of bombings, black-outs and bad news followed by three years of traumatic service in R.A.F. Bomber Command, only to find equally bleak prospects for post-war employment. He signs on as an officer of the Crown and enters a world that he had never imagined, a world which quickly alters his view of policemen as angels of justice. Through Martin's eyes, we experience drunkenness, corruption, crime and death, viewed with gentle empathy and rare understanding. We ride with him through the bustle of life, seeing facets of the criminal world not usually considered; the imperfections of a deeply flawed criminal justice system and the day to day distortion of truth and honesty which results. A rich narrative by an author with intimate knowledge of the era, "Never Pure and Seldom Simple" offers a glimpse into the reality of life, bereft of glamour but still full of honesty, warmth, humor and affection.

A fresh selection of sharp, witty zingers gathered from both famous and utterly unknown (but very quotable) sources, by the editor of the popular "The 2,548 Best Things Anybody Ever Said"
Robert Byrne's quote books are widely praised as authoritative and accessible sources of sayings for any and all occasions. Byrne's own wit, diligent research, and creativity combine to form a fresh go-to reference that serves readers better than Google--no Wi-Fi required. "The 2,548 Wittiest Things Anybody Ever Said "is an all-new collection of clever quips and laugh-out-loud punch lines from Gracie Allen to Frank Zappa, on such topics as sex, divorce, religion, fashion, animals, and money:
STEVE MARTIN: "I'd do anything for a good body except exercise and eat right."
JON STEWART: "War is God's way of teaching Americans geography."
NORA EPHRON: "Successful parents have adult children who can pay for their own psychoanalysis."
This compilation, to be enjoyed by generations young and old, deserves a place of honor on every language lover's bookshelf.

Bestselling author, Hall-of-Famer, and master-teacher Robert Byrne is back with his most impressive effort yet: an exhaustive compendium of more than 350 pool shots that will take its place among the game's classic instructional books. Ranging from tickys to double-kisses and from jump shots to diamond systems, Byrne's Complete Book of Pool Shots takes players on an accelerated trip from pool kindergarten to graduate school. Most of Byrne's expertly diagrammed shots are not widely known and many are described here for the first time-in many cases, these are the secrets of a lifetime. Players of every skill level, including the most advanced, will find their game greatly strengthened by the clever moves Byrne has assembled.
For twenty-five years, Byrne's New Standard Book has been
"the definitive work on pool and billiards" (National Billiard Review). This new shot-by-shot reference will enable players to reach an even higher level. They'll have to read it before their opponents do.

Paddy Rossmore: Photography records half a century of the travels made by Lord Rossmore and his companions the Knight of Glin, Desmond FitzGerald, and Mariga Guinness of the Irish Georgian Society. The visual record made by Rossmore provides a unique archive dedicated to preserving the landscape of a bygone era. With accompanying essays by fine art historian Robert O'Byrne, Rossmore's photographs capture the bittersweet beauty of an uncertain era for Ireland's architectural heritage, with many of his subjects now fallen to ruin, and others enjoying restoration and new life in modernized Ireland.

Metamorphs are curious and interesting paper models which will transform step by step through a sequence of different shapes before finally returning to their original starting positions. There are ten colorful two and three dimensional models to cut out and make and also an informative text which discusses and explains the principles by which they have been designed. There are two main classes of these objects and both are well represented in this collection, together with an introduction to the importance of degrees of freedom and the limitations of hinges and hinge lengths. Some people will prefer to see metamorphs simply as amusing and rather impressive toys, others as expressions of mathematical principles to be understood and appreciated.

In this starkly humorous novel, set in post World-War 2 England, we experience the realities of life on the sprawling, sooty streets of Yorkshire. Martin Rooney is a young man, scarred by a childhood of bombings, black-outs and bad news followed by three years of traumatic service in R.A.F. Bomber Command, only to find equally bleak prospects for post-war employment. He signs on as an officer of the Crown and enters a world that he had never imagined, a world which quickly alters his view of policemen as angels of justice. Through Martin's eyes, we experience drunkenness, corruption, crime and death, viewed with gentle empathy and rare understanding. We ride with him through the bustle of life, seeing facets of the criminal world not usually considered; the imperfections of a deeply flawed criminal justice system and the day to day distortion of truth and honesty which results. A rich narrative by an author with intimate knowledge of the era, "Never Pure and Seldom Simple" offers a glimpse into the reality of life, bereft of glamour but still full of honesty, warmth, humor and affection.

Here is the companion book to the landmark Byren's Standard Book of Pool and Billiads--what every pool player needs to perfect his or her game. Byrne treats the finer points of the game with the comprehensiveness and clarity that have won him a loyal readership among the many thousands of players who have taken up the game in the recent pool boom.