Taking a tank into war . . . The British Army's Challenger II Main Battle Tank is one of the most awesome war machines ever built. In March 2003, three Squadrons of Challenger 2s from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, part of Britain's 7th Armoured Brigade, the fabled Desert Rats, gathered in Southern Iraq to prepare for battle.The Army's newest Big Guns were going to war for the first time. But Operation TELIC was a war which the Challenger 2, designed to operate in the fog and mud of the Central European Plain, had never been expected to fight. And one that would quickly break every rule of tank warfare including the golden maxim: never take a tank into a town. In Main Battle Tank, author Niall Edworthy, granted unprecedented access to the Scots DGs, tells the story of an extraordinary chapter in the history of British Army. From the terrifying rescue of a stricken Challenger 2 and countless nerve-shredding raids into Basra and Az Zubyar, to the biggest tank engagement fought by the British since the end of WWII, Main Battle Tank is the brutal, blistering true story of a war that tested man and machine to the bloody limit.

Main Battle Tank

History

Edworthy, Niall

Military

Penguin Uk

Drawing on over 2,000 years of writing and experiences from all over the world, "The Curious World of Christmas" covers every remarkable aspect of the largest religious festival on Earth. This is a unique treasury of amusing and poignant anecdotes, heart-warming stories, ancient customs, forgotten traditions, historical insights, practical tips, bizarre practices, recipes, quotations and a scattering of jaw-dropping statistics. And while it shuns cloying sentimentality, it is never cynical or contemptuous - "The Curious World of Christmas" wears its paper hat with pride. Chapters in this book include: Pagan roots of Christmas; Christmas with our ancestors; Christmas around the world; the origins of Santa Claus; Christmas at war; Christmas presents: shopping and DIY; at work on Xmas day; reunions and tantrums; volcanoes, earthquakes and train crashes; Xmas traditions; Xmas weather and, Food and Drink - all with a liberal sprinkling of great quotations, and some statistics for good measure.

The Curious World of Christmas

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Doubleday, UK

A delightful anthology of curiosities that honors the gardening life. Celebrating the garden in all its splendid diversity and rich history, this collection of facts, ancient wisdom and customs, tips, and recipes features more than 1,000 entries-remarkable information about flowers, vegetables, fruits, trees, herbs, insects, birds, water, soil, tools, composts, climate, gardens and gardeners, myths, superstitions, and biodynamics. Woven into this wealth of knowledge are famous quotations, anecdotes, traditional sayings, lines of verse, and words of rural wisdom. It's a wonderful gift for any gardener, whether they're tending a window box or a full-fledged farm.

The Curious Gardener's Almanac: Centuries of Practical Garden Wisdom

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Gardening & Landscape Design

TarcherPerigee

A fascinating miscellany that celebrates all things Christmas from the author of The Curious Gardener?s Almanac. Drawing from more than two thousand years of history and culture, this collection of anecdotes, customs, tips, and recipes features more than 1,000 entries honoring one of the world?s most celebrated holidays. This unpredictable, addictive gem weaves in famous quotations, traditional sayings, verses, and wisdom to create a book that will be enjoyed long after the Christmas tree is down and the turkey leftovers finished off. Each page yields tidbits on everything from the real reason why December 25th was chosen as the celebratory day and a 19th-century turkey recipe to the origins of kissing under mistletoe and statistics showing why Christmas is proven to be more stressful than divorce or burglary. Chapter topics include: ? Farting Dwarves and Peacock Pie (or, How Our Ancestors Celebrated Christmas) ? Will the Real Father Christmas Please Stand Up (or, The Origins of Santa Claus) ? Happy Reunions, Terrible Tantrums (or, Christmas and the Family) ? Reindeer Sausages and Minced Coffins (or, Christmas Food and Drink) ? And much more With enough curiosities to intrigue, amuse, and enlighten even the grumpiest Scrooge, this is the perfect gift book for anyone who counts down the months until their favorite holiday.

The Curious World of Christmas: Celebrating All That Is Weird, Wonderful, and Festive

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

Perigee Books

From the author of The Curious Gardener's Almanac, a fascinating miscellany that explores the mysterious world of birds. Comprising more than 1,000 entries of remarkable information about birds, bird life, and bird-watching, Bald Coot and Screaming Loon reveals the intriguing evolution and behavior patterns of these avian creatures. Woven into this wealth of knowledge are quotations, anecdotes, traditional sayings, lines of verse, practical advice for attracting and spotting birds, and words of rural wisdom, covering such topics as: ?How birds came to be ?Courtship and breeding ?Why birds sing and call ?Avian anatomy ?Birds and man ?How and why birds fly ?The mystery of migration ?Bird Brains: Instinct or intelligence? ?How birds cope in a damaged world

Bald Coot and Screaming Loon: Adventures in the Curious, Mysterious and Remarkable World of Birds

Science & Math

Nature & Ecology

A two-in-one gift book for different personality types offers opposing pessimistic and optimistic perspectives on topics ranging from baldness and globalization to travel, marriage, beauty, education, and more. 45,000 first printing.

The Optimist's/Pessimist's Handbook: A Companion to Hope and Despair

Humor & Entertainment

Cramsie, Petra

Humor

Free Press

The mere sense of living is joy enough. Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, American poet Humanity's story is one long testimony to the truth that life is as rewarding and beautiful as you make it. As pioneers, inventors, and dreamers have always known, you can do anything if only you persevere. Ever since we hauled ourselves out of the swamp, our history has been one of extraordinary cultural and technological progress, of mind-boggling discoveries and remarkable achievements, often against the odds. It's no coincidence that you see no statues of pessimists in city squares. Still, cynical and doubting voices are heard all too loudly and frequently in public discourse. A potent antidote to their gloom and doom, The Optimist's Handbook is a joyful explosion of wit and wisdom from our past and present that celebrates the art of greeting life with the excitement it deserves. This handbook will inspire, enchant, and entertain you as you go forward into all your wonderful tomorrows. Even if, after reading it, you are not moved to feats of glory for the greater good, the fact is that optimists are healthier, happier, and richer than their gloomy counterparts. Hear that, killjoys? The world is a grindstone and life is your nose. Fred Allen, 1894-1956, American humorist Why beat around the bush? The truth is that life is a never-ending cycle of toil and pain with nothing but death to reward all our suffering. Furthermore, what solace is there in blind optimism or fanciful daydreaming when it is perfectly clear that the world is heading toward a complete meltdown whether we live in it or not? Resigning yourself to life's grim treadmill, and thereby avoiding more disappointments, is the best way to trudge forward. The Pessimist's Handbook is an indispensable companion on your journey through this vale of tears. A clear-sighted, realistic look at life's obstacles, this guidebook is stocked with the pearls of wisdom you need to counter the irritating voices of those who trumpet futile positivity and inane confidence in a brighter future. Feel reassured that scores of people share your sense of impending doom...and have done so for centuries. After all, misery loves company, but not when it's a horde of perky utopians.

The Optimist's/Pessimist's Handbook: A Companion to Hope/Despair

Badger's Cricket Compendium: A Humorous Illustrated Treasury of Phrase & Foible (Badger Sport Humour)

Puzzles & Games

Badger Books

Badger's Golf Compendium: The Essential Illustrated Handbook For Clubhouse Bores (Badger Sport Humour)

Reference

CURIOUS BIRD LOVERS HANDBO (REI)

Black Swan.

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