Kirjahaku

Terry Pratchett is one of the most loved writers in the world. With worldwide sales of over 65 million copies in 37 languages, his novels are eagerly awaited by his legions of fans year after year. His first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was released in 1983 and ever since then the series, with its whimsical heroes and fiendish foes, has delighted both young and old alike. In 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He has courageously faced the disease head - on, equalling the determination of his characters in his vivid and satirical novels. In Terry Pratchett - The Spirit of Fantasy, Craig Cabell's examines his extraordinary life, showcased against the backdrop of his irreverent works. With 2011 the 40th anniversary year of his first novel, The Carpet People, this is a fitting time to pay tribute to the author's artistic achievements and celebrate one of Britain's true national treasures. Featuring an in - depth look at the man and his work, as well as on - screen adaptations and a complete UK bibliography and collector's guide, this is essential reading for any fan.

Matthew Hopkins is perhaps the most notorious, certainly the most productive, witchfinder that England ever boasted. In eighteen months between 1645 and 1646, he was responsible for the condemnation and execution of at least 230 witches in south-east England and East Anglia. His victims were for the most part elderly women, though men too, even respected clergymen, faced trial and capital punishment for performing witchcraft and making covenants with Satan. Hopkins had appointed himself Witchfinder General by order of Parliament but his reputation as a local hero became tarnished by his use of excessive torture, too many false accusations, and confessions obtained by dubious means.His death is somewhat mysterious. He died while still quite young, possibly after having been accused of witchcraft himself and executed. Craig Cabell, already a noted biographer of such contemporary students of the occult as Dennis Wheatley and James Herbert, uses the copious extant records and Hopkins's own writings, to create a richly detailed picture of a man and a society obsessed with magic, devil worship and the powers of darkness. He provides the first full modern biography of a man who turned his undoubted energies and gifts into a streamlined, and profitable, killing machine.

The Second World War spawned a plethora of crack special forces units (Long Range Desert Group, SAS, SBS, Phantom and Commandos) but 30 Assault Unit remains, even today, far more secretive and exclusive than the others. Formed by Ian Fleming, who was working for Naval Intelligence, 30 AUs mission was to penetrate and operate behind enemy lines, capture by whatever means necessary vital intelligence and feed it back to London where it could be assimilated and acted upon. This crack team of commandos included mavericks such as Patrick Dalzel-Job (generally regarded as the model for Flemings fictional secret agent 007), and less well known (despite their conspicuous bravery) figures such as Captains Huntingdon-Whiteley, Captain Martin-Smith. Lieutenant Commander Curtis and Lieutenant McFee. The author has trawled archives and interviewed veterans in order to piece together the history and record of this elusive special forces unit who fought with great distinction and achieved results disproportionate to their size.

1.15 to 3.30 At the Battle of Trafalgar.One of the first and most respected of Craig Cabell's chap books is his essay concerning the last moments of Lord Nelson. Destroying the myths and discussing the nuances of Nelson's death, with close scrutiny of source text, Cabell exposes both the propaganda and true spoils of war.For years, this essay was only available as a signed limited edition brochure for patrons of The Trafalgar Day Dinner and Run Ashore, but it is now released to a wider audience with colour illustrations.'God and My Country' - Lord Nelson's Last Words

My Brother, the Mountain BeastCraig Cabell's moving poem is about the love two brothers have for each other, until a large change overcomes one of them and he turns into the mountain beast and starts to climb the majestic rocky mountainside late at night.As the loving younger brother becomes more and more concerned, the remoteness - the loneliness - of his elder brother becomes more intense, until he makes the decision to finally move away.Moving and sensitive, My Brother, the Mountain Beast is a beautiful poem of love and loyalty.

The Star ChildCraig Cabell's bitter-sweet poem about a vision of a child floating across a great city before a most terrible flood, is at last available in book form.The Earth makes a final plea to mankind to save its home; but it is ignored and catastrophe ensues. But the straight-jacketed Star child sails on, shedding one final tear goodbye. Beautifully crafted and brutal in its underlaying message, The Star Child is a highly moral tale, informing the younger generation to always face their Blue Planet responsibilities.

When Hitler unleashed his V1 and V2 rockets on Great Britain in 1944, it was the first military attack on the British civilian population without invasion. Innocent families were wiped out without mercy and terror gripped the nation. Churchill and the Crossbow Committee knew that widespread panic would soon ensue, because the British public were becoming increasingly anxious about the Nazis superior technology, which was destroying their lives. But through important intelligence from Bomber Command, Naval commandos, the French and Dutch Resistances in Europe, and the precise plotting of V rocket activity in the Filter Room of Fighter Command through air reconnaissance, a Top Secret plan was formed to dive-bomb V rocket installations with Mark IX and Mark XVI Spitfires. Craig Cabell is the writer and historian responsible for bringing Operation Big Ben to world attention. He has studied the original documentation since its release from the National Archive in 2004 and interviewed veterans who took part in the operation, such as Flight Lieutenant Raymond Baxter. Cabell's initial research resulted in many accolades and now resides in the 602 'City of Glasgow' Squadron Museum.But now, for the first time, Cabell has put together the whole story of Operation Big Ben, showing the work of the Crossbow Committee, intelligence Commandos under the orders of Commander Ian Fleming, the French and Dutch Resistances, and the brave men who flew the Spitfires of 124, 229, 303, 453, 602 and 603 squadrons. For the sake of accuracy and attention to detail, this book concentrates on the day-to-day activity of Spitfires during Operation Big Ben and the work of the various strands of British intelligence before and during it. In this book Operation Big Ben is separated from Operation Crossbow, (the anti-V1 operation) to show how the British government stepped up its urgency to counter the V2 threat. Although some of the detail could be considered repetitious in places (many cuts of non-operational flying have been made from the histories of each squadron in order to keep the flow of the book thought-provoking and interesting), the focus is on accuracy. The author has noted that in other publications that touch on Operation Big Ben, specific activity has not been documented correctly. This is because squadron histories haven't been cross-referenced in the past.Each squadron history in this book, mentions the work of other Big Ben squadrons (to report on the filtering of intelligence, escort work for other larger operations, or the details of the weather conditions experienced and the plight of the Dutch people during the harsh winter of 1944-45) to create a fuller and more visual picture of what happened. It is appreciated that aviation historians and enthusiasts alike will analyse this volume for the details of the Spitfires used. In a nutshell, Mark IXF Spitfires started Operation Big Ben. These had elliptical wings to begin with and then progressed to clipped-wing (pin-pointing exact dates has not always been possible). The Mark XVI became the cream of the crop for the most important squadrons (602, 603 and to a lesser degree 303; with 602 being the first to have them, followed by 303), Mark V's were used for training purposes. For dive-bombing purposes, two 250 lb bombs were used under each wing for balance, with a 500 lb bomb under the fuselage.Occasionally just the 500 lb bomb was carried, sometime just the two 250 lb bombs, depending on how far they had to fly inland or the difficulty of the job in-hand (the greater weight the more fuel used). Version 5 roundel was used and Operation Big Ben insignia on either side of the fuselage.

Updateddetailed biographies of the 12 actors who have played the Time Lord, including the latest, Peter Capaldi"Doctor Who" is the world's longest-running science fiction television series, and the role of theTime Lord has been a career landmark for all11 actors who have played him.Few roles in television historyare as iconic, demanding, or as anticipated by its legion of fans as that of the famous time traveler with two hearts. This compendium of facts about the men behind the role reveals to fans whowas a bouncer for theRolling Stones before taking control of the Tardis, who was nearly blown up in World War II aboard HMS" Hood," who had a fondness for wooly hats and a grandson who would become Harry Potter's nemesis, and who played a transvestite barmaid before becoming a "Who" heartthrob. All these bizarre facts are explained, and many more, as the lives and careers of each Doctor including the most recent incarnation, Peter Capaldi are put under the spotlight and given the credit they so richly deserve. Including interviews with many of the stars, this is a must-have for any fan."

For almost 40 years, Herbert was Britain's most popular horror author. With sales f over 50 million copies, he carved a niche in quality bestselling fiction all of his own. Famous for his Rats trilogy and The Fog, he broke away from the cut-and-thrust populist horror novels of the 1970s and 80s to more thought-provoking works, featuring the scientific reasoning behind the manifestations of the ghosts and spirits in which he truly believed. Books such as Others, Once..and The Secret of Crickley Hall bear testament to his growth as a writer and his continuing desire to chill his readers. Craig Cabell's exploration into the dark, sinister world of James Herbert is given incredible depth thanks to a series of over a dozen exclusive candid interviews. Drawing striking parallels between Herbert's career and the events of his life, this work sheds light on the personal demons which drove the boy from London's East End to become the per-eminent horror writer of his generation. Cabell, a friend and confident of Herbert's until the very end, shares personal correspondence and reminiscences - including one of Herbert's previously unpublished pieces entitled To Ye All - to complete a portrait of one of the most iconic authors of the 20th Century. Prepare to be gripped by the utterly adsorbing last chapter in the life of the Master of Chills.

Detective John Rebus first appeared in Ian Rankin's 1987 bestseller Knots and Crosses and has since gone on to appear in 17 books and numerous short stories. For over 20 years these critically-acclaimed, notoriously gritty novels have sold in their millions, thrilled readers the world over and have even been adapted into a popular television series. Although the fictional Inspector retired to the backwaters of Edinburgh's dark side in the 2007 novel Exit Music, the books continue to endure and attract new audiences. In this fascinating biography, author Craig Cabell presents a thought-provoking insight into the minds of the writer and his creation, and how their relationship has developed over the years. Ian Rankin and Inspector Rebus also investigates the dark cellars and sinister back streets of Rebus' Edinburgh - a dark, foreboding city that shatters any stereotypes of shortbread and kilts. Packed with plot-lines, story analysis, a complete collector's guide and including interviews with Rankin himself, Ian Rankin and Inspector Rebus is a fascinating guide to a much-loved series, which will thrill both the initiated and the soon-to-be.

Terry Pratchett is one of the most loved writers in the world. With worldwide sales of over 65 million copies in 37 languages, his novels are eagerly awaited by his legions of fans year after year. His first Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic, was released in 1983 and ever since then the series, with its whimsical heroes and fiendish foes, has delighted both young and old alike. In 2007 Pratchett announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He has courageously faced the disease head-on, equalling the determination of his characters in his vivid and satirical novels. In Terry Pratchett - The Spirit of Fantasy, Craig Cabell's examines his extraordinary life, showcased against the backdrop of his irreverent works. With 2011 the 40th anniversary year of his first novel, The Carpet People, this is a fitting time to pay tribute to the author's artistic achievements and celebrate one of Britain's true national treasures. Featuring an in-depth look at the man and his work, as well as on-screen adaptations and a complete UK bibliography and collector's guide, this is essential reading for any fan.

Few people are aware that Dennis Wheatley, in his day one of the biggest selling novelists in the world, spent the Second World War as a member of Winston Churchill's Joint Planning Staff. Wheatley's job was to confuse the enemy by writing 'plausible, official documents' and to feed them to the Nazis. Here is that little known and intriguing story, drawn on previously unpublished restricted papers - and with a foreword by one of today's best-selling authors.