A pair of lectures from one of the twentieth century’s most mesmerizing speakers
Lawrence Durrell was in his early twenties when, tired of the stiffness of London life, he took his family to live in Corfu. Interwar Greece, whose hard beds and mosquito swarms Durrell documented so tenderly in Prospero’s Cell, was no more. In the first of this pair of lectures, given during a 1970s visit to California, Durrell recalls those days, talking of family, poetry, and the joy of the islands as no other writer can.
When war came to the Mediterranean, Durrell was swept into diplomatic service, an adventure he recounts in his second lecture. Though a diplomat of the modern world, he served under men whose experience stretched back to the days before the telephone, when solutions for crises had to be devised by the ambassador, and not phoned in from London. These two lectures on long-vanished worlds are an elegant demonstration of the evocative power of Durrell’s unmatched storytelling. Views: 347
A trucker lies dying. A soul goes riding. Someone sings amazing grace.As a man lays dying in a rickety shack in Alabama, his nephew's soul does a fact check on his most famous story and finds out it's true. Views: 345
R.M. Ballantyne was a Scottish author who wrote over 100 books and was best known for children’s fiction. Ballantyne was also a famous artist. Views: 344
"A laugh-out-loud tour de force." —Kirkus, starred reviewEver wish you had a way to magically solve all of your problems? The kids at Hopewell Elementary School might have exactly what you're searching for—just walk down the hall and stop at Locker 37.Carson Cooper realizes that he has a very inconveniently located stain on his pants. That is NOT the way to start things off on the first day of school. Fortunately, Carson finds a letter written by last year's fourth graders stuck to the bottom of his desk with some watermelon bubble gum. The note explains the existence of Locker 37, which will provide a solution to any problem! And when Carson sneaks off to the locker it does, indeed, provide a solution—an eraser! But the problem is that the eraser works a little too well, erasing anything it's rubbed against three times. ANYTHING. Views: 343
'Alastair Bonnett combines a deep knowledge of history and contemporary geopolitics with a seasoned travel writer's eye for the telling detail, as he gives us a tour of our terrifying but often beautiful new world.' Joshua Keating, author of Invisible Countries: Journeys to the Edge of NationhoodNew islands are being built at an unprecedented rate whether for tourism or territorial ambition, while many islands are disappearing or fragmenting because of rising sea levels. It is a strange planetary spectacle, creating an ever-changing map which even Google Earth struggles to keep pace with. In The Age of Islands, explorer and geographer Alastair Bonnett takes the reader on a compelling and thought-provoking tour of the world's newest, most fragile and beautiful islands and reveals what, he argues, is one of the great dramas of our time.From a 'crannog', an ancient artificial island in a Scottish loch, to the militarized artificial islands China is... Views: 343
At the Foot of the Mountain Range. Towards the close of a bright and warm day, between fifty and sixty years ago, a solitary man might have been seen, mounted on a mule, wending his way slowly up the western slopes of the Andes. Although decidedly inelegant and unhandsome, this specimen of the human family was by no means uninteresting. He was so large, and his legs were so long, that the contrast between him and the little mule which he bestrode was ridiculous. He was what is sometimes styled “loosely put together;” nevertheless, the various parts of him were so massive and muscular that, however loosely he might have been built up, most men would have found it rather difficult to take him down. Although wanting in grace, he was by no means repulsive, for his face, which was ornamented with a soft flaxen beard and moustache of juvenile texture, expressed wonderful depths of the milk of human kindness. He wore boots with the trousers tucked into them, a grey tunic, or hunting coat, belted at the waist, and a broad-brimmed straw hat, or sombrero. Evidently the times in which he travelled were troublous, for, besides having a brace of large pistols in his belt, he wore a cavalry sabre at his side. As if to increase the eccentricity of his appearance, he carried a heavy cudgel, by way of riding-whip; but it might have been observed that, however much he flourished this whip about, he never actually applied it to his steed. On reaching a turn of the road at the brow of an eminence the mule stopped, and, letting its head droop till almost as pendent as its tail, silently expressed a desire for repose. The cavalier stepped off. It would convey a false impression to say that he dismounted. The mule heaved a sigh. “Poor little thing!” murmured the traveller in a soft, low voice, and in a language which even a mule might have recognised as English; “you may well sigh. I really feel ashamed of myself for asking you to carry such a mass of flesh and bone. But it’s your own fault—you know it is—for you won’t be led. I’m quite willing to walk if you will only follow. Come—let us try!” Gently, insinuatingly, persuasively, the traveller touched the reins, and sought to lead the way. He might as well have tried to lead one of the snow-clad peaks of the mighty Cordillera which towered into the sky before him. With ears inclining to the neck, a resolute expression in the eyes, his fore-legs thrown forward and a lean slightly backward, the mule refused to move. “Come now, do be amiable; there’s a good little thing! Come on,” said the strong youth, applying more force. Peruvian mules are not open to flattery. The advance of the fore-legs became more decided, the lean backward more pronounced, the ears went flat down, and incipient passion gleamed in the eyes. “Well, well, have it your own way,” exclaimed the youth, with a laugh, “but don’t blame me for riding you so much.” He once more re-m–; no, we forgot—he once more lifted his right leg over the saddle and sat down.... Views: 340
Illustrated with 10 unique illustrations.Away in the WildernessThe Battery and the BoilerThe Battle and the BreezeBattles with the SeaThe Big OtterBlack IvoryBlown to BitsBlue LightsThe Buffalo RunnersThe Cannibal IslandsCharlie to the RescueChasing the SunThe Coral IslandThe Coxswain\'s BrideThe Crew of the Water WagtailDeep Down, a Tale of the Cornish MinesDigging for GoldThe Dog Crusoe and his MasterDusty Diamonds Cut and PolishedThe Eagle CliffErling the BoldFast in the IceFighting the FlamesFighting the WhalesThe Floating Light of the Goodwin SandsFort DesolationFreaks on the FellsThe FugitivesThe Garret and the GardenGascoyne, the Sandal-Wood TraderThe Giant of the NorthThe Golden DreamThe Gorilla HuntersHandbook to the new Gold-fieldsThe Hot SwampHudson BayHunted and HarriedHunting the LionsThe Island QueenThe LifeboatLife in the Red BrigadeThe LighthouseThe Lonely IslandThe Madman and the PirateMartin RattlerThe Norsemen in the WestOver the Rocky MountainsPhilosopher JackThe PioneersThe Pirate CityThe Red Man\'s RevengeRivers of IceSunk at SeaThe Young Fur Traders Views: 340
Cuore (Heart) - An Italian Schoolboy\'s Journal is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Edmondo De Amicis is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of Edmondo De Amicis then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. Views: 339
The Scottish juvenile fiction writer R. M. Ballantyne was born into a famous family of publishers. Leaving home at age 16 he went to work for the Hudson\'s Bay Company; after returning home to Scotland R. M. Ballantyne published his first book "Hudson\'s Bay" detailing his experiences in Canada. Later Ballantyne would write about more of his experiences with Native Americans and the Fur trappers he met in the most remote regions of Canada. With his success as a writer he withdrew from the business world to become a full time writer for the rest of his life. With over a hundred different books he has become one of the most cherished juvenile fiction writers today. Along with his other exploits throughout his life he also was tremendously successful with his artwork as his water color paintings were displayed at the Royal Scottish Academy. Views: 339
Rachel Ray offers a masterly and entertaining evocation of a small community living its life in mid-nineteenth-century England. The novel first appeared in 1863, a year in which public reaction against the excesses of the popular sensationalist novel prompted Trollope to state that he was writing about "the commonest details of commonplace life among the most ordinary people."About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. Views: 339
R.M. Ballantyne, in full Robert Michael Ballantyne (born April 24, 1825, Edinburgh, Scot.—died Feb. 8, 1894, Rome, Italy), Scottish author chiefly famous for his adventure story The Coral Island (1858). This and all of Ballantyne’s stories were written from personal experience. The heroes of his books are models of self-reliance and moral uprightness. Snowflakes and Sunbeams; or, The Young Fur Traders (1856) is a boys’ adventure story based on Ballantyne’s experiences with the Hudson’s Bay Company. Annoyed by a geography-related mistake he had made in The Coral Island, he afterward traveled widely to research the backgrounds of his stories. Views: 339
Danger awaits as evil witches grow in power. A collection of Elfen creatures and a brave crusader knight, together with gifted monks are asked to save their world. A most enjoyable read that teases the reader with the concepts of trust, loyalty, suspicion, betrayal, and of course love. Witches Snared will trap you deep within the story, leaving you eager for more Dream Cane adventures.Raj and Dan are again summoned by the Dream Cane to a strange new realm. Danger awaits as evil witches grow in power casting spells that will plunge this world into a shroud of evil and eternal darkness. A collection of Elfen creatures, a brave crusader knight, and gifted monks are asked to combine forces with the forest animals in an unlikely alliance to save their world. A fascinating read that spans time and worldly realms culminating in an epic battle that unites the forest’s inhabitants against the most powerful and evil force they have ever encountered. An intelligent read that teases the reader with the concepts of trust, loyalty, betrayal, and of course love. Witches Snared will trap you deep within the adventure, leaving you eager to see where it ends and where the Dream Cane will lead you next. Views: 337
This story of life in Scotland during the 1400s focuses on the simple things: unrequited love, true love blocked by circumstance, arrogant ambition, and unbounded jealousy, all accompanied by vengeful feuding between individuals and clans who'd made themselves masters of the struggle for revenge. . . .In 2014 The Galloway Raiders was set up as a literary society and online presence to explore Crockett's life and work and restore his credibility as one of Scotland's great writers. The Galloway Raiders also holds two archives of Crockett material. Views: 336
"A laugh-out-loud tour de force." —Kirkus, starred reviewHidden away at Hopewell Elementary School is a magical locker that always delivers a solution to your problems—just not quite in the way you might expect.The unthinkable happens. Keisha forgets to do her science homework! The morning it's due, she rushes to Locker 37 and the locker gives her a clock. Not just any clock, mind you. It's a time-travel device that sends Keisha back to whatever time of day she wants during that particular school day, which means she can scrape together enough time in between her classes to finish her homework. Still, there's no time to help Carson with his stained shirt or to answer Bryce's gummy bear questions (don't ask). Keisha only has time to make things right—but should she use it for herself or for her friends? Views: 335
