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They Flew: A History of the Impossible
An award-winning historian’s examination of impossible events at the dawn of modernity and of their enduring significance
“Historically rich and superbly written.”―David J. Davis, Wall Street Journal
Accounts of seemingly impossible phenomena abounded in the early modern era―tales of levitation, bilocation, and witchcraft―even as skepticism, atheism, and empirical science were starting to supplant religious belief in the paranormal. In this book, Carlos Eire explores how a culture increasingly devoted to scientific thinking grappled with events deemed impossible by its leading intellectuals.
Eire observes how levitating saints and flying witches were as essential a component of early modern life as the religious turmoil of the age, and as much a part of history as Newton’s scientific discoveries. Relying on an array of firsthand accounts, and focusing on exceptionally impossible cases involving levitation, bilocation, witchcraft, and demonic possession, Eire challenges established assumptions about the redrawing of boundaries between the natural and supernatural that marked the transition to modernity.
Using as his case studies stories about St. Teresa of Avila, St. Joseph of Cupertino, the Venerable María de Ágreda, and three disgraced nuns, Eire challenges readers to imagine a world animated by a different understanding of reality and of the supernatural’s relationship with the natural world. The questions he explores―such as why and how “impossibility” is determined by cultural contexts, and whether there is more to reality than meets the eye or can be observed by science―have resonance and lessons for our time.Read more
£24.10£28.50They Flew: A History of the Impossible
£24.10£28.50 -
The Enigmas of History: Myths, mysteries and madness from around the world
History is replete with unanswered questions regarding rumoured past events, objects, and cultures that often turn into the stuff of legends.Each chapter in this engaging study examines a particular mystery; they come from locations across the globe and throughout the annals of human history. The topics addressed include the lost city of Atlantis; the Ark of the Covenant; the legend of the crystal skulls; and the enigma of the indecipherable Voynich manuscript.
Entertaining and informative, The Enigmas of History is an unbiased review of historical puzzles and bewildering discoveries that is perfect for the historian and curious sceptic alike.
Praise for The Enigmas of History:
’The Enigmas of History is an enjoyable romp through familiar material (bible mysteries, witchcraft, conspiracy theories) with some surprising new takes (an interesting comparison between belief in fairies back then and aliens more recently). It’s a good starting place for anyone who hasn’t read such a book before’ – Books from Scotland
Alan K. Baker was born in Birmingham. Having left university, he embarked on a series of unpleasant jobs, including a stint in a sausage factory which he credits with stimulating his interest in the bizarre and macabre. Since 1997 he has written several non-fiction books about the paranormal and popular history.
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£2.80 -
Generative Scribing: A Social Art of the 21st Century
Scribing—visually representing ideas while people talk—is a distinct social art form that facilitates group learning and cultural memory. Scribes listen and draw simultaneously, creating large pictures that integrate content, prompt insight, and aid with decision-making.
“Generative scribing” extends this art by attending to the field of energy and relation between people, and to the emerging potential of a system.
This book frames the key concepts that inform and cultivate a scribe’s inner capacities of being, joining, perceiving, knowing, and drawing. It is for visual practitioners, facilitators, coaches, and organizers, and for anyone who cares about how we exist together as humans. It’s for those who want to explore their interior functioning, to approach the world anew.
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£6.70 -
Vintage Christmas Coloring Book: Cute And Fun Vintage Christmas Coloring Pages For All Ages To Relax And Enjoy The Holiday. Gift Idea For Special Occasions
Unleash your creativity with the Vintage Christmas Coloring Book Immerse yourself in a world of captivating designs that will both inspire and relax you.
Features:
- Variety of Abstract Designs: Explore a diverse array of abstract designs that invite you to let your imagination run wild as you fill them with color.
- Therapeutic Art: Take a break from the daily hustle and discover solace in the therapeutic art of coloring. It’s a wonderful way to unwind and destress.
- Versatile Coloring Tools: Use your favorite coloring tools, whether it’s pens, pencils, markers, or watercolors, to breathe life into these enchanting designs.
- Single-Sided Printing: Each page is printed on one side, preventing ink bleed-through and allowing you to easily frame your finished masterpieces.
- Generous Size: With dimensions of 8.5×11 inches, this coloring book provides ample space for intricate coloring and creative expression.
Indulge in a coloring experience that not only soothes the soul but also ignites your artistic flair. Let’s Coloring be your companion on a journey of relaxation and self-expression.
Discover the perfect gift for a friend, co-worker, or children, and create lasting memories together!!
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£6.60 -
The Celestine Prophecy: how to refresh your approach to tomorrow with a new understanding, energy and optimism
This extremely readable and addictive parable has become a breakout word-of-mouth hit for its uncanny ability to renew your understanding of life, connections and perspective with fresh vigour. From the multimillion-bestselling author, James Redfield, and perfect for fans of Paulo Coelho and Eckhart Tolle.
‘The Celestine Prophecy has already reached cult status… It homes in on the deepest, most urgent search of our times – the search for meaning… This is a book like no other.’ – THE TELEGRAPH
‘If you’ve ever wondered what the formula is for an “inspirational” bestseller, with promising potential for cult status, look no further’ ? GUARDIAN
‘A spiritual classic… A book to read and reread, to cherish, and to give to friends’ – JOAN BORYSENKO, author of Fire in the Soul
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You have never read a book like this before…
The Celestine Prophecy contains secrets that are currently changing our world. Drawing on the ancient wisdom found in a Peruvian manuscript, it tells you how to make connections between the events happening in your own life right now…and lets you see what is going to happen to you in the years to come.
The story it tells is a gripping one of adventure and discovery, but it is also a guidebook that has the power to crystalize your perceptions of why you are where you are in life…and to direct your steps with a new energy and optimism as you head into tomorrow.
A book that comes along just once in a lifetime to change lives forever.
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£9.40£10.40 -
National Gallery: Trafalgar Square at Christmas Advent Calendar (with stickers)
Enjoy the countdown to Christmas! Open a numbered window every day in December until the big day and reveal a seasonal image to help you get in the festive spirit! Produced in partnership with the National Gallery, each window reveals a masterpiece from their incredible collection, including works from George Stubbs, Claude Monet, Raphael and many more. Printed on FSC-certified paper.Read more
£6.20£6.60 -
The Last Reunion: The thrilling and achingly romantic new historical novel from the international bestselling author
*THE STUNNING NEW NOVEL FROM INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR KAYTE NUNN!*
‘Absolutely magnificent’ NATASHA LESTER
‘Hugely engaging’ DAILY MAIL
War would bring them together.
But would it ultimately tear them apart?Burma, 1945.
Bea, Plum, Bubbles, Joy and Lucy are five young women looking for adventure, fighting a forgotten war in the jungle attached to the Fourteenth Army. Running a mobile canteen, navigating treacherous roads and dodging hostile gunfire, they soon become embroiled in life-threatening battles of their own – battles that will haunt the women for the rest of their lives.
Oxford, 1976. At the height of an impossibly hot English summer, a woman slips into a museum and steals several rare Japanese netsuke, including the famed fox-girl. Despite the offer of a considerable reward, these tiny, exquisitely detailed carvings are never seen again.
London and Galway, 1999. On the eve of the new millennium, Olivia, assistant to an art dealer, meets Beatrix, an elderly widow who wishes to sell her late husband’s collection of Japanese art. Concealing her own motives, Olivia travels with Beatrix to a New Year’s Eve party, deep in the Irish countryside, where friendships will be tested and secrets kept for more than fifty years are spilled…
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£2.80 -
Visions of the Occult: An Untold Story of Art & Magic
The first major survey of the occult collection of artworks, letters, objects and ephemera in the Tate Archive. Revealing over 150 unseen esoteric and mystical pieces, never before seen by the public and giving a new understanding to the artists in the Tate collection and the history and practice of the occult. The first major survey of the occult collection of artworks, letters, objects and ephemera in the Tate Archive. Revealing over 150 unseen esoteric and mystical pieces, never before seen by the public and giving a new understanding to the artists in the Tate collection and the history and practice of the occult. Offers in-depth exploration of the occult and it’s relationship to art and culture including witchcraft, alchemy, secret societies, folklore and pagan rituals, demonology, spells and magic, para-sciences, astrology and tarot. This lavishly illustrated magical volume acts a potent talisman connecting the two worlds of Tate – the seen public collection and the unseen secrets lurking in the archive. The pages of this book explore the hidden artworks and ephemera left behind by artists for the first time idea and will shed new light on our understanding of the art historical canon. Expect to find the unexpected with artists such as Ithell Colquhoun, John Nash, Barbara Hepworth, David Mayor, Max Armfield, Cecil Collins, Jill and Bruce Lacey, Francis Bacon, Alan Davie, Joe Tilson, Henry Moore, William Blake, Leonora Carrington and Hamish Fulton. For the first time, the clandestine, magical works of the Tate archive are revealed with archivist Victoria Jenkins acting as the depository of it’s secrets. This book explores the symbiotic relationship between art and the occult and how both can act as a form of resistance to challenging environments. This book will change perceptions forever and illuminate the surprising breadth and extraordinary ways in which artists interpret not just the physical world around them but also the supernatural, and in doing so make the unseen, seen. If you think you know Tate artists, it’s time to think again.Read more
£19.30£23.80 -
The Time Traveler’s Oracle: A 44-Card Deck and Guidebook
A mystical adventure through space and time beckons you! Each journey through The Time Traveler’s Oracle can activate secret messages from the depths of your soul―and from the Universe. Simply stepping through the space-time continuum sparks profound, positive shifts and changes within you.
Time traveling–which is the ability to travel from one temporal locale to another–beckons us to learn and grow. While traditionally we think of this as a journey into the past or future, from a spiritual perspective, it can also be lateral travel into a different locale at a different time. It’s a sacred pilgrimage that allows you to see the world, the Universe, and yourself with new meaning and new perspectives.
From the earliest history of humankind, people turned to visionaries to gain insight into their lives, and these seers stepped through mystic gateways into other realms–and other time periods–to bring back answers and give meaning to the seemingly random events of life. These seers were the earliest time travelers. It’s no longer necessary to turn to a seer; you have the innate capacity to travel through divine entryways to obtain an understanding of the circumstances of your life.
Deepen your connection to the mysterious, natural forces around you, and find the long-sought answers to your most heartfelt questions, as you take an extraordinary voyage to different locales and time periods. Using the power of your consciousness/imagination–with oracle cards as guideposts along the way–you will be transported to powerful sites, such as:
– The Venice Renaissance in Italy
– Uluru in Australia
– The River Nile in Egypt
– The Amazon Rainforest in Brazil
– The Taj Mahal in India
– The Northern Lights in Iceland
– A Zen Monastery in Japan, and so much more.These oracle cards can help you deepen your connection to the mysterious, natural forces around you, as well as to the far past of our planet and beyond . . . and provide profound inner wisdom. Whether they take you to an event in history or a general locale on the planet, each trip carries a personal message for you, such as creativity, growth, courage, patience, and more. The cards can be used to gain information about the future, help you make decisions, show you where you are presently, and help you discover your inner truth.
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£17.10 -
Surfing The Himalayas: W: Conversations and Travels with Master Fwap
An account of one man’s path to enlightenment through his strange encounter with an elderly Tibetan Buddhist monk.Read more
£2.70 -
The Perennial Philosophy (P.S.)
An inspired gathering of religious writings that reveals the “divine reality” common to all faiths, collected by Aldous Huxley
“The Perennial Philosophy,” Aldous Huxley writes, “may be found among the traditional lore of peoples in every region of the world, and in its fully developed forms it has a place in every one of the higher religions.”
With great wit and stunning intellect–drawing on a diverse array of faiths, including Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Christian mysticism, and Islam–Huxley examines the spiritual beliefs of various religious traditions and explains how they are united by a common human yearning to experience the divine. The Perennial Philosophy includes selections from Meister Eckhart, Rumi, and Lao Tzu, as well as the Bhagavad Gita, Tibetan Book of the Dead, Diamond Sutra, and Upanishads, among many others.
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£12.70 -
The Witches of Scotland: The Dream Dancers: Akashic Chronicles Book 1
????????’???? ???????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????????????? ????????????????????????????, ????????’???? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ???????????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????? ????????????.
Glasgow law student David Hunter is drifting through life and feels something is missing. When someone tries to kill him on a night out, he discovers he is from a long line of witches known as Dream Dancers, and his life is turned upside down.
Now David has unwittingly exposed himself to a world of powerful witches, clandestine government agencies, and a fight to protect the Akashic records.
Is a life filled with Magick really his true calling in life?
???????? ???????????? ???????????????? ????????????????????????????, ????????????????????????, ???????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????, ????????????’???????? ???????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ????????????????-???????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????.
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£8.50 -
Lawrence of Arabia: An in-depth glance at the life of a 20th Century legend
The authoritative and illuminating biography of T. E. Lawrence – the man who inspired the iconic film Lawrence of Arabia – from “The World’s Greatest Living Explorer” Ranulph Fiennes.
Thomas Edward Lawrence first set foot on the hot sands of Arabia in 1909.
By 1918 there was a £20,000 price on his head.His journey to this point has long been legend. From his first postings as archaeologist, liaison and map officer, to fighting alongside guerrilla forces during the Arab Revolt. Journeying more than 300 miles through blistering heat to capture Aqaba, to his involvement in peace conferences that decided the future of the Middle East. Lawrence gave over his life the Middle East and its people.
A legend in his own lifetime, Lawrence’s epic story has always been ripe for the retelling – but Ranulph Fiennes is no ordinary biographer . . . Having led Arab troops into battle on the Arabian peninsula in a war fought only fifty years later. Fiennes too discovered the wonders of these far-flung lands and the people who live there, and is one of very few who can claim a true insight into the kind of life that Lawrence lived – bold and adventurous to the end.
With detailed access to records and an in-depth knowledge, Lawrence of Arabia is at long last a true and full account of this mysterious adventurer who captivated the world.
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£18.20£23.80 -
The Twelve Days of Murder: The perfect festive whodunnit to gift this Christmas
LOVEREADING’S BOOK OF THE MONTH! The perfect murder mystery to gift this Christmas.Find the truth. Solve the murder. Never reveal your secret.
Twelve years ago, eight friends ran an exclusive group at university: The Murder Masquerade Society. The mysteries they solved may have been grisly, but they were always fictional – until their final Christmas puzzle, when one of the group disappeared, never to be seen again.
Now, the remaining members receive an invitation to a reunion masquerade, to be held in a beautiful and remote country house in Scotland. The game begins, and it feels just like old times.
Until the next morning, when Lady Partridge is found hanging from a pear tree.
It quickly becomes clear that in this game, the murder will be all too real, and the story is bringing long-hidden secrets to the surface. If they hope to survive the festive season then they will need to face the truth about what happened on that fateful night twelve years ago.
PRAISE FOR THE TWELVE DAYS OF MURDER:
‘(An) entertaining thriller’ Good Housekeeping
‘A devious holiday whodunnit’ Publishers Weekly
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£0.90 -
The Very British Problems Christmas Quiz Book: 600+ fiendishly festive questions (Knowledge quizzes)
WATERSTONES’ BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2023: PUZZLES AND HUMOUR
The perfect quiz book to get you in the Christmassy mood, to play at the office Christmas lunch or to pop into a stocking.
Q1: In Britain, it’s estimated that 800 million of what traditional Christmas treat are eaten each year?*
Q2: Which actor gives the voiceover at the beginning of Love Actually?*
Q3: True or False: Queen Elizabeth II wore a Santa hat for her 1996 Christmas Day televised speech.*We Brits can’t get enough of a quiz – and never has this been more true at Christmastime. So if you’re stumped for office party small talk, trying to make it through Christmas dinner with the in-laws, or simply a quiz connoisseur after puzzles with some festive flair, you can’t go wrong with the VERY BRITISH PROBLEMS CHRISTMAS QUIZ BOOK.
Inside you’ll find all sorts of tickly teasers, complex conundrums, worrisome word searches and much more on topics ranging from nostalgic Christmas adverts and beloved TV specials to toys through the ages and everyone’s favourite holiday snacks. Best enjoyed with a cup of tea and a mince pie.
*Answers: Buy the book and find out!
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£12.65£14.99 -
Lawrence of Arabia: An in-depth glance at the life of a 20th Century legend
The authoritative and illuminating biography of T. E. Lawrence – the man who inspired the iconic film Lawrence of Arabia – from “The World’s Greatest Living Explorer” Ranulph Fiennes.
Thomas Edward Lawrence first set foot on the hot sands of Arabia in 1909.
By 1918 there was a £20,000 price on his head.His journey to this point has long been legend. From his first postings as archaeologist, liaison and map officer, to fighting alongside guerrilla forces during the Arab Revolt. Journeying more than 300 miles through blistering heat to capture Aqaba, to his involvement in peace conferences that decided the future of the Middle East. Lawrence gave over his life the Middle East and its people.
A legend in his own lifetime, Lawrence’s epic story has always been ripe for the retelling – but Ranulph Fiennes is no ordinary biographer . . . Having led Arab troops into battle on the Arabian peninsula in a war fought only fifty years later. Fiennes too discovered the wonders of these far-flung lands and the people who live there, and is one of very few who can claim a true insight into the kind of life that Lawrence lived – bold and adventurous to the end.
With detailed access to records and an in-depth knowledge, Lawrence of Arabia is at long last a true and full account of this mysterious adventurer who captivated the world.
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£19.13£25.00 -
Alice: A Christmas Ghost Story
Praise for Shani Struthers’ books:***** One of the best books in this genre. (Wildacre)
***** One of the best Christmas Ghost Stories I have ever read. (Eve)
***** It reminds me of the old black and white British ghost story films. (Rosamund)
***** Another instant classic from Shani Struthers. (The Damned Season)
***** A meloncholy masterpiece. (Carfax House)
***** Shani Struthers is my Queen of Horror. (Highgate)From the author of the bestselling Psychic Surveys series comes a Christmas Ghost Story like no other!
Is anyone ever who they seem?
After suffering the tragic loss of her best friend, Lottie Beck is struggling. Aged eighteen, she’s flunked school and spends her days lying in a darkened room, doing nothing. Finally, she is forced to get a job at Silver Birches Care Home.
Once there, and after meeting the residents, particularly the feisty, no-nonsense Bobby, she settles in, appreciating how much history lies behind each person. A history she can read, in her own special way, via the touch of a hand.
Alice is another resident, aged ninety-two, and mute. A woman who has always been institutionalised and is now near the end of days. It is she who intrigues Lottie the most, but whom she also fears. All she knows is something happened to make her the way she is, an event on Christmas Eve, way back, something sinister.
Surely she deserves peace, but if together they aren’t brave enough to confront what lurks in the darkest recesses of her mind, she’ll die in anguish.
It’s Christmas Eve again, 2023, and as Lottie is about to find out: not all ghosts are dead.
~~~
Download today or READ FOR FREE in KU:
Psychic Surveys Series:
Psychic Surveys Book One: The Haunting of Highdown Hall
Psychic Surveys Book Two: Rise to Me
Psychic Surveys Book Three: 44 Gilmore Street
Psychic Surveys Book Four: Old Cross Cottage
Psychic Surveys Book Five: Descension
Psychic Surveys Book Six: Legion
Psychic Surveys Book Seven: Promises to Keep
Psychic Surveys Book Eight: The Weight of the Soul
Psychic Surveys Book Nine: The Devil’s Liar
Psychic Surveys Companion Novels:
Eve: A Psychic Surveys Prequel
Blakemort (Corinna’s story)
Thirteen (Ness’s story)
Rosamund (Rosamund Davis – Ruby’s great-grandmother’s story)
Jed (the story of one of Psychic Surveys most loved and mysterious characters)
This Haunted World Series:
This Haunted World Book One: The Venetian
This Haunted World Book Two: The Eleventh Floor
This Haunted World Book Three: Highgate
This Haunted World Book Four: Rohaise
This Haunted World Book Five: Resistance
Reach for the Dead Series:
Reach for the Dead Book One: Mandy
Reach for the Dead Book Two: Cades Home Farm
Reach for the Dead Book Three: Walker
Jessamine Series:
Jessamine
Comraich
Summer of Grace – A Standalone Mystery Thriller
Christmas Ghost Stories
Carfax House
The Damned Season
Wildacre
Alice
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£2.49 -
General Relativity: The Theoretical Minimum
The latest volume in The New York Times bestselling physics series explains Einstein’s masterpiece: the general theory of relativity
He taught us classical mechanics, quantum mechanics and special relativity. Now, physicist Leonard Susskind, assisted by a new collaborator, André Cabannes, returns to tackle Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Starting from the equivalence principle and covering the necessary mathematics of Riemannian spaces and tensor calculus, Susskind and Cabannes explain the link between gravity and geometry. They delve into black holes, establish Einstein field equations and solve them to describe gravity waves. The authors provide vivid explanations that, to borrow a phrase from Einstein himself, are as simple as possible (but no simpler).
An approachable yet rigorous introduction to one of the most important topics in physics, General Relativity is a must-read for anyone who wants a deeper knowledge of the universe’s real structure.
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£10.11£10.99General Relativity: The Theoretical Minimum
£10.11£10.99 -
Amazing Grace: A Cultural History of the Beloved Hymn
A fascinating journey through the history of “Amazing Grace,” one of the transatlantic world’s most popular hymns and a powerful anthem for humanity. Sung in moments of personal isolation or on state occasions watched by millions, “Amazing Grace” has become an unparalleled anthem for humankind. How did a simple Christian hymn, written in a remote English vicarage in 1772, come to hold such sway over millions in all corners of the modern world? With this short, engaging cultural history, James Walvin offers an explanation. The greatest paradox is that the author of “Amazing Grace,” John Newton, was a former Liverpool slave captain. Walvin follows the song across the Atlantic to track how it became part of the cause for abolition and galvanized decades of movements and trends in American history and popular culture. By the end of the twentieth century, “Amazing Grace” was performed in Soweto and Vanuatu, by political dissidents in China, and by Kikuyu women in Kenya. No other song has acquired such global resonance as “Amazing Grace,” and its fascinating history is well worth knowing.Read more
£14.80£16.10
