Colin Maggs, one of the UK’s foremost transport and engineering historians, has written a compelling biography of Brunel (1806–1859) that integrates the engineer’s tremendous achievements – from the Thames Tunnel to the SS Great Eastern – into his life as son, husband and father. Quoting from Brunel’s diaries, letters and business papers, Maggs offers a new perspective on iconic feats of engineering including the Great Western Railway, the Royal Albert Bridge and the first propeller-driven ship, SS Great Britain.

Grammar does matter, and Joseph Piercy argues cogently that understanding and using grammatical rules is not pedantic, but essential if we want to make ourselves understood. Presented with a very light touch, a scattering of anecdotes, and quotes from literature, his 25 Rules and Essential Tools are lucidly explained with examples and summaries. The book ends with a quiz, a glossary and a selection of 'A Grammarian Walks into a Bar' jokes.

Originally published in 1933, this little book of witty epigrams and epitaphs by the English writer and poet Martin Armstrong (1882–1974) is illustrated with wood-engravings by Eric Ravilious (1903–1942). The subjects of the verses are 54 professionals or types, ranging from a judge to a snuff-taker and a ‘boarding-house lift man’; and each one is accompanied by its own woodcut.

From catering for Victorian mourners with 50 shades of black fabric in its first shop in Oxford Street in the 1860s, to 12 million YouTube viewings of its Christmas ad for 2013, this is a 150-year retailing success story. Jonathan Glancy looks back over John Lewis's history, describing its roots in drapery and fabrics, the radical partnership structure set up in 1929, its architecturally distinguished flagship stores, the success of the online store and its future plans - more shops.

Beginning with basic technologies including stone tools, pottery and metallurgy, this selection covers many less obvious, but no less crucial inventions such as eyed needles that made warm clothing possible or the camel saddle that opened the Sahara to long-distance trade. The five richly illustrated sections – on technologies, transportation, hunting and warfare, art and science and personal adornment – range across time from prehistory to 500 CE in the ‘Old World’ and the fall of the Aztecs (1520 CE) in the Americas.

The binomial system used for Latin botanical names was developed in the 18th century by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. His highly organized nomenclature allows gardeners to identify significant characteristics of each species, with such descriptions as ‘very fragrant’ (fragrantissimus), ‘late-flowering’ (tardiflorus) or ‘growing in a salty habitat’ (halophilus) offering clues to a plant’s suitability for particular locations. This glossary lists hundreds of adjectives with their meanings, complemented by related trivia and horticultural lore.

Presented in a sturdy, drawer-type box, these large postcards (160 x 115mm) feature 30 different designs based on illustrations in the RHS Lindley Library. While most of the postcards depict two or more peonies in shades of white, pink and red and a variety of butterflies, a few have an all-over design of smaller flowers and butterflies.

While drunk at a fair, hay-trusser Michael Henchard sells his wife and child to a sailor for five guineas. The next morning he vows to mend his ways; and eventually, by hard work and good judgement, he becomes mayor of Casterbridge. Then, 18 years after being sold, his wife returns and Henchard finds he cannot escape his past. Collector’s Library.

Tolstoy's great tragedy tells the story of Anna, a young woman trapped in a loveless marriage who forfeits family life and acceptance in Russian society when she falls passionately in love with a cavalry officer. First published in Russian in 1878; translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude. Collector’s Library.

How do you say 'a bunch of muppets' in French? Is 'faire la bombe' as explosive as it sounds? With over 700 everyday expressions and their idiomatic English equivalents, this book offers an entertaining way to improve your language skills while discovering the origins of both languages' most curious phrases. You'll also learn when to beware of literal translation - and which phrases might land you in trouble.

Social commentator, illustrator, cartoonist and landscape artist, William Heath Robinson (1872-1944) was gifted in many fields, but his fame today rests on the cartoons poking fun at human foibles and his marvellous contraptions, such as The Pilsner Pump for Tapping the Enemy’s Beer (1916). In this volume from the Masterpieces of Art series, Susan Grange introduces Heath Robinson’s life and many-faceted artistic career, and presents around 90 full-page reproductions of his literary illustrations, cartoons and contraptions.

Her warm humour, sympathy, curiosity about human nature and eye for detail make the novels of Maeve Binchy (1940-2012) hugely appealing. These virtues are all shared by this selection of articles from The Irish Times, which chart her life from her early career as a waitress to the pains of old age. Whether meeting Samuel Beckett, reporting tragedies or recounting an amusing anecdote of small-town life, they are as compelling as her fiction. American-cut pages and felt-tip mark on lower trimmed edge.

The 'Keep Calm and Carry On' poster was never used during the Second World War; people in Britain had kept calm and carried on without being told. Anton Rippon first started collecting these first-hand accounts of life on the home front in 1978, when memories of the war were relatively fresh. Above all, their strange, sad or downright funny stories illustrate the indomitable spirit and humour of the British people during the war years.

In another of his richly illustrated guides to seeing the world by train, Julian Holland presents a guide to 150 train journeys around Britain, each one suitable for a day trip. Every entry provides a location map, route diagram and essential information for travellers as well as Holland’s enthusiastic accounts of the railway journeys, many of them on preserved steam lines, and the destinations - places of interests ranging from pubs to palaces.

Beginning with ‘Florence in a Day’, this guide to the great Renaissance city is arranged in ten walking tours, each with options to visit additional sites if energy permits. Mario Erasmo provides an introduction to the history of the city, and his commentary for each itinerary gives details of the significant works of art to be seen in the museums and galleries, as well as the sculptures, monuments and buildings along the route.

Raphael Nelson was both author and illustrator of this guide to British birds, first published in 1943. Ninety of the most commonly encountered species are described, each one accompanied by a full-page woodcut illustration

Knot-tying is an essential skill for climbers and sailors, but just about everyone needs to tie something up on occasion. This book is a clear guide to over 80 knots, bends, hitches, loops and lashings, helpfully grouped according to their specific uses. The straightforward instructions and colour step-by-step photographs are clear and easy to follow, allowing the reader to identify, tie and untie the knots they are most likely to require.

One of the world’s best-loved children’s books, Heidi tells the story of a little orphaned girl who goes to live with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps. When she is sent to live with a family in Frankfurt, Heidi is homesick for the mountains and her grandfather. First published in 1880. Collector’s Library.

In an age when low-cost flights have made continental travel mundane, it takes a railway journey sweeping through mountains and valleys to restore a sense of adventure. Drawing on the archive of the Daily Telegraph's travel section, this anthology ranges from Michael Palin on the Settle to Carlisle to Nicholas Crane on the slow train to Istanbul. Richly atmospheric, hilarious and alarming by turns, this is travel writing at its very best. No jacket.

This widely acclaimed critical introduction to the potter Bernard Leach (1887–1979) was first published in 1998, long before Edmund de Waal achieved such renown as a potter and author of The Hare with Amber Eyes. Reissued unrevised, this text explores Leach’s years in Japan, the duality in his career as maker and writer, and the complexities of his ceramic work.

Published annually to accompany the world's greatest classical music festival, the BBC Proms Guide contains illustrated articles on composers and performers and on events commemorating the end of the First World War and the significance of 1918 for music. There are complete listings for over 90 concerts, ranging from solo recitals to Mahler’s ‘Symphony of a Thousand’, and the Guide provides booking information and a pull-out calendar showing all the concerts and events at a glance.

In 1989, the Scottish artist and author Mairi Hedderwick came across John T Reid’s Art Rambles in the Highlands and Islands, which records his sketching tours of 1876. In 1990, she set off to retrace Reid’s journey and record the same scenes that he sketched 114 years earlier. The eight rambles around Scotland are described in Hedderwick’s intensely personal and very entertaining commentary, but also in excerpts from Reid’s writings, and his engravings sit alongside her watercolours. New edition.

G is for gut, and this revolutionary diet aims for both a healthy gut and weight loss. The 21-day plan first gives your digestion a rest then gradually builds up gut health, banishing feelings of bloating and discomfort and improving energy levels. The book includes details of gut-friendly foods such as garlic, bananas and natural yoghurt; lists those you need to avoid; and provides 75 quick, easy and delicious recipes.

The nation-forming struggle between the Union and the Confederate States in America threw up heroes on both sides and the famous events and characters were widely celebrated in contemporary publications. This commemorative volume is based on the biographies of 50 famous leaders, first published in the late 19th century, which are accompanied by portraits and illustrations of 70 battles and authentic drawings examining weaponry, uniforms and insignia.

The distinction between springer and cocker spaniels was originally simply one of weight: the smaller dogs were used to retrieve woodcock in the shooting field and the larger to flush out or 'spring' game birds and ground game. This photographic celebration of the breed includes portraits of puppies, pets and agility dogs competing on the assault course, as well as many images of enthusiastic gundogs retrieving game in the field.

In the late 1990s, Mairi Hedderwick embarked on a six-week voyage through the Caledonian Canal to the western fjords, aboard the antique yacht Anassa. Filled with frank and fresh observations on everything from the history of landscape painting in Scotland to the shipping forecast and fish farming, and illustrated with her own drawings and watercolours, this is an enthralling account of another remarkable journey. New edition.

Actor, doctor, sculptor, TV personality, and director of film and opera, Jonathan Miller is a true polymath, yet his learning is worn lightly, his serious insights balanced by playful humour. All these qualities are evident in this collection of his writings from the past six decades, on subjects as diverse as drama, comedy, art history, mesmerism, neurology, psychology, how television changed after the Kennedy assassination, and how we see ourselves and the world.

Almina Wombwell married the 5th Earl of Carnarvon in 1895. She brought with her a large dowry, as the daughter of banking tycoon Alfred de Rothschild. This is the story of her life at Highclere Castle, where Downton Abbey was filmed, and especially the ways in which the First World War affected the fates of the family and staff alike. The author, the current countess, draws on the extensive family archive to write this engaging and personal history.

From around 1760 to the 1830s, stories about the sex lives of the rich and powerful were guaranteed to increase the readership of popular printed literature. Papers were so packed with salacious tales of secret sex that there seemed to be an epidemic of adultery among the aristocracy. This study explores the personal stories of men and women involved in adulterous affairs and compares their accounts of infidelity and its sometimes tragic consequences with the stereotypes of dissolute aristocrats in the popular press.

In this book, the intricate Art Nouveau works of Alphonse Mucha have been adapted into 45 detailed line drawings that you can colour yourself, choosing either to copy the original or produce your own interpretation. Each picture is accompanied by a sample section of the original painting, and the pages are perforated so your creations can be easily removed and framed.

Julian Fellowes, the writer of Gosford Park and Downton Abbey, tells a story that begins with the young and beautiful Sophie Trenchard at the Duchess of Richmond’s ball in Brussels before Waterloo, and rejoins the Trenchard family 25 years later, as Sophie begins to feel the repercussions of the fateful ball.

In earlier studies, Gwen John (1876–1939) has been depicted as a lifelong recluse, on record as desiring ‘a more interior life’. Alicia Foster argues against that view and its implications for the interpretation of the artist’s work. Instead, this study looks at John’s work in London, in Paris and in the context of contemporary artists; and examines, in particular, the relationship between women and the interior in her painting.

Dating back to the eighth century BCE, Celtic designs were used to decorate items such as jewellery, weaponry, cauldrons and wine jars as well as illuminated manuscripts. This sourcebook surveys different types of ornament including spirals and triskels, interlace, labyrinths and portrayals of animals. Colourfully illustrated and complete with accounts of the history and symbolic meanings of the designs, the book also includes a practical guide to drawing the motifs.

After translating an ancient manuscript that tells of a passageway to the very centre of the earth, Professor Liedenbrock and his nephew set off through the crater of a volcano and find themselves in a prehistoric land of fearsome beasts. This trail-blazing work of science fiction was first published in 1864. Collector’s Library.

Fashion changed slowly in the centuries before the modern era and resulted in some odd and impractical styles, such as the long, pointed men’s shoes of the 15th century or the 19th century’s bustles and crinolines. This children’s history of costume tells the story of fashion from the ancient Egyptians and Greeks to the modern era through a series of 325 colour illustrations. Age 8+

Are your commas, colons and semicolons in good working order? Would you know a marker of empathy (aka a pragmatic participle) if you encountered one? Caroline Taggart has the answers to these and many other confusing aspects of modern grammar, vocabulary and punctuation. Enlivened with anecdote and examples, she gives lucid explanations of the basic rules of grammar - and shows how they really do help us to communicate. A marker of empathy? Lol.

Two world wars have all but erased the memory that Britain and Germany were once the best of friends. This absorbing history charts three centuries of cooperation between allies bonded by blood, religion and culture. Wide-ranging and richly anecdotal, it also recounts the stories of individuals – from the royal family through writers and musicians to ordinary people working abroad – whose lives straddled two nations, and how their loyalties were put to the test after 1914.

As well as explaining how to create paper flowers and foliage, Kelsey Elam presents a gallery of 100 flowers, each with a list of the materials needed to make it, the techniques used and, at the back of the book, templates for the leaf and petal shapes. A practical section explains and illustrates the techniques and there are four projects to try, including a bouquet and a corsage.

Crossing 14th-century Europe from Scotland to Constantinople, this epic adventure sees the fates of three very different people – a prince, a young Scot named John Grant and a girl in hiding – intertwined in the besieged city of Constantinople.

The author of eleven novels such as Headlong and the Booker-longlisted Skios, and many plays including Noises Off, Michael Frayn is also a prolific newspaper columnist. Dating from 1962 to 1994, this selection of his pieces deploys his characteristic wit, razor-sharp observation and offbeat comedy on a range of topics from bureaucratic absurdity to pretentious productions of Shakespeare. They are arranged in alphabetical order ‘because I couldn’t think of any more rational system’.

Against the traditional image of ‘Bloody Mary’ promoted by Protestant propaganda, and against the more recent portrayals of Mary Tudor as a pitiable and tragic figure, this study presents Mary as her father’s daughter, a strong-willed risk-taker. The book examines her life during the reign of Henry VIII and her complex and dramatic relationship with her father, and reveals England’s first queen regnant as a gambler who ‘staked everything – life, freedom, religion – in a bid for the throne, and won’.

From the early migrations out of Africa in prehistoric times to Tintin, Rita Hayworth and a Dutch redhead festival in 2014, Jacky Colliss Harvey presents an overview of red hair and redheadedness. Her physiological and cultural survey explores phenomena including the red-haired Magdalene, Pre-Raphaelite redheads, movie stars with dyed red hair and the contradictory stereotypes of hot-blooded, highly sexed red-haired women and less-appealing ginger men. American cut pages.

God’s mercy has long been the cornerstone of Pope Francis’s faith, and is now the central message of his papacy. Simply and directly, in conversation with the Vatican reporter Andrea Tornielli, Francis explains – through memories of his youth and moving anecdotes from his experiences as a pastor – why the Church does not close its doors to anyone, and that every soul seeking the meaning of life can find the love of God.

This award-winning author specializes in recipes for people with food intolerances. The 120 included here are contemporary and international; range from main meals to soups, snacks and desserts; and demonstrate the value of alternative ingredients such as coconut milk and rice flour. They are divided into quick and slow choices, to balance the enjoyment of cooking with the need for speed in our increasingly busy lives.

Originally published in the 1930s and with woodcut illustrations by WRH Johnson, this book is a collection of stories and short essays exploring the myths, legends, symbolism and folklore associated with British flowers such as the marigold, snowdrop and lavender.

Little Nutbrown Hare just cannot explain how much he loves Big Nutbrown Hare; and Big Nutbrown Hare always has a way of loving him more. Then, when he is almost too tired to think and about to fall asleep, the little hare is inspired by the moon. First published in 1994, this wonderful, timeless tale is illustrated with Anita Jeram's irresistible hare paintings. Age 3+

When Arthur Liberty (1843–1917) opened his first shop, the East India House at 218A Regent Street, in 1875 his aim was ‘not to follow existing fashion but to create new ones’. Liberty was a born retailer with a keen eye for talented designers and the business he created was hugely successful. This illustrated history of Liberty’s shows how it has shaped British taste, bringing together generations of great designers in textiles, fashion, interior design and the decorative arts.

St Juthware has carried her severed head down Abbot’s Hill in Dorset since the eighth century; a terrifying Black Friar haunts the rooms of Rufford Abbey in Nottinghamshire; the noise of a phantom fighter plane has been heard over Romney Marsh since the Battle of Britain. Journeying through the English counties, the authors of these fascinating books retell the ancient and modern tales of the supernatural, and picture many of the haunted sites