All over the world there are places that became famous forever by chance—battles briefly waged, scenes of triumph and disaster, sites of murder and intrigue, centers of influential creativity, and noted mythical places from books and film. How and why did; Angora, Tabasco, Duffel, and Fray Bentos give us products good and bad; Kohima's tennis court save India; Storyville's 269 brothels helped it to create jazz; Botany Bay never saw any British convicts; Tay Bridge was a disaster avoided by Marx and Engels; "OK" stands for a farmhouse; Ferrari chose the "Prancing Horse of Maranello"; Kyoto was saved from Hiroshoma's terrible fate; The British built the Great Hedge of India; With 432 pages beautifully illustrated and carefully researched, Fame By Chance covers 380 of these places with new insights and facts that are amusing, surprising, and sometimes controversial.

Fame by Chance: An A-Z of Places That Became Famous (or Infamous) By a Twist of Fate

O'Brien, Donough

Reference

Bene Factum Publishing

A "Savile Row suit" is universally understood to be the best one can possibly get. There can be few other streets in the world that have become such a byword for excellence. Yet how did this come about? One tailor more than any other is responsible—Henry Poole &amp; Company. Carefully researched and beautifully illustrated, Henry Poole chronicles the evolution of Savile Row as well as encompassing a social record of Britain's emergence to international prominence. Author Stephen Howarth cleverly interweaves the various threads of the Henry Poole story with people and events to make this a truly fascinating history. Through the doors of Henry Poole's shop and onto the pages of this book stride an impressive array of emperors and entrepreneurs, kings and courtesans, princes and politicians, crowned heads and cowboys, aristocrats and authors, gangsters and grand dukes, Hollywood stars, hoteliers, and war heroes—each bringing something special to this story.

Henry Poole: Founders of Savile Row: The Making of a Legend

Arts & Photography

HOWARTH, Stephen

Graphic Design

What risks did early European plant collectors take to bring to Europe and America those plants we know and love. Who found what where? Christian has gone to extraordinary lengths to find out. This book reflects the story of some of the special and most unusual which she grows in her own garden.

From the Ends of the Earth: Passionate Plant Collectors Remembered in a Cornish Garden

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Lamb, Christian

Gardening & Landscape Design

Two Vagabonds in Languedoc: Classic Portrait of a French Village

Biographies & Memoirs

Gordon, Jan

Historical

Romanian Furrow, written in 1933, is an enchanting and evocative chronicle of a journey made by a young Englishman, Donald Hall, to Romania in search of a rural lifestyle that was rapidly disappearing in Western Europe. Hall's account of rural life in Romania—surprisingly much of which has survived today—admirably meets the reading requirements of Green or Eco tourists, a market segment that Romania is investing much of its tourism budget to attract.

Romanian Furrow: 'Touches the Very Soul of Rural Romania'

Travel

HALL, DONALD

Europe

In 1939 the young Christian Lamb felt she had to "do her bit" for the war effort. Her comfortable life was about to be turned upside down. With a Naval background, the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS) was the obvious choice, besides it had by far the most attractive uniform—topped by the splendid tricorne hat. On joining as a lowly Wren rating she found that this crowning glory was not for her but strictly for officers only. It was to be the first of many nasty surprises. In I Only Joined For The Hat the author wittily describes how class and snobbery had no place in a world of girls from all social backgrounds, suddenly plunged into life together. From scrubbing floors and squad drill to coding and catering, Christian peppers her pages with amusing observations.

I Only Joined for the Hat...: Redoubtable Wrens at War . . . Their Trials, Tribulations and Triumphs

Community & Culture

Fourth edition of a consistently successful and respected book, this re-titled edition brings many new insights to the skill of communications. Effective communication is a key business and personal skill. The conversational style is the best way to communicate anytime anywhere and author Lee Bowman is the acknowledged international expert.

High Impact Communications: The Best Way to Communicate Anytime Anywhere

Bowman, Lee

Business & Money

London-born photographer Chris Craymer launches his first photographic book in June 2009. Titled Romance, the 200 page book is a personal project which Chris has been working on for several years—an evocative series of photographs capturing moments which perfectly articulate the true meaning of romance. The couples featured in the book are sometimes models, sometimes not, but they are all real couples in varying stages of what Chris has described as "pre mortgage love." The 130 images, some in color, some in black and white, still-life alongside lifestyle, are wistful, lustful, joyful, and most importantly playful—the light, witty touch being an important element in much of Chris's work.

Romance

Photography & Video

A highly informative, entertaining, and slightly irreverent look at one of life’s great ceremonies Exposing the real-life insanity behind those picture-perfect wedding days, this collection comforts the soon-to-be-married with the knowledge that one's "perfect day" doesn't have to be quite so perfect. This volume of wedding anecdotes, superstitions, and jokeswith some statistics thrown infeatures both dream wedding days and disasters. Fresher in perspective than a how-to guide, it offers a trousseau of tips and short-cuts from the photographers and author and from other couples who have been thereall stunningly illustrated by real photos of real people enjoying real weddings.

Bride Ideas and Frock-Ups: A Book of Wedding Tips and Slips

Humor & Entertainment

Frieze, Susannah

Humor

<div> <div>A slightly irreverent take on stories and myths that surround the world famous Salisbury Cathedral, its Close and the surrounding area--from the 13th century through to the present day. Some of the stories are hilarious, others sensational, many published for the first time--and most of them are true!</div> </div>

Almost Heaven: True and Almost True Tales About a Cathedral

THOMAS, Leslie

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