Daedalus Books

Figes reconstructs a heroic and touching love story that occurred in the midst of one of Stalin's most notorious work camps, drawing on personal letters, KGB archives and recent interviews to brilliantly illustrate the broader world in which their story unfolded.

Many years ago, the storytellers say, the great King Arthur brought justice to England with the help of his gallant knights of the roundtable. While most of King Arthur's knights freely chose a life of duty, for Sir Balin the Ill-Fated, destiny was foretold in a prophecy. And seriously, ill-fated is right there in his title, so Balin's not surprised when things go sour. Still, no matter how dire the task, a loyal and gallant knight never refuses adventure! Will Sir Balin finally discover his true destiny? And which ill-fated path will he have to choose? Join Balin on this, the noblest quest of all. With black-and-white drawings from acclaimed artist Aaron Renier throughout.

Best-selling novelist Robert Crais, a master of crime fiction and creator of the critically acclaimed Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novels, edits this year's must-read mystery stories with a keen eye for thrills and nail-biting suspense.

The thirteenth novel in the wonderful No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, from master storyteller Alexander McCall Smith.

'Sometimes when you're reading Neal Stephenson, he doesn't just seem like one of the best novelists writing in English right now; he seems like the only one'. Time One of the most talented and creative authors working today, Neal Stephenson is renowned for his exceptional novels — works colossal in vision and mind-boggling in complexity. Exploring and blending a diversity of topics, including technology, economics, history, science, pop culture, and philosophy, his books are the product of a keen and adventurous intellect. Not surprisingly, Stephenson is regularly asked to contribute articles, lectures, and essays to numerous outlets, from major newspapers and cutting edge magazines to college symposia. This remarkable collection brings together previously published short writings, both fiction and nonfiction as well as a new essay (and an extremely short story) created specifically for this volume. Stephenson ponders a wealth of subjects, from movies and politics to David Foster Wallace and the Midwestern American College Town; video games to classics-based sci-fi; how geekdom has become cool and how science fiction has become mainstream (whether people admit it or not); the future of publishing and the origins of his novels. By turns amusing and profound, critical and celebratory, yet always entertaining, Some Remarks offers a fascinating look into the prismatic mind of this extraordinary writer.

My dog sends me texts. Yeah. It's weird. When October Jones figured out he could send text messages to himself on his mobile phone, he naturally decided that the best use of this discovery was to send passive-aggressive messages to himself under the guise of his bulldog. And so the exasperating, slightly delusional, and utterly endearing Dog and his alter-ego BatDog were born. Texts from Dog features Dog's attempts to keep the neighborhood safe from the likes of Mr. Postman and his arch-nemesis Cat-Cat — he has managed to only smash three TVs and a patio door in the process. And in between crime fighting sprees and run-ins with the squirrel mafia, there are romantic interludes with pillows, fetch sessions gone terribly awry, and the abusive banter only a bromance between man and his text-savvy dog can spawn. For those of us who have ever had a conversation with a pet in our heads, Texts from Dog will make you laugh out loud and perhaps even make you think twice about leaving your pet home alone for the day.

This book examines a city with many faces. The buildings: the Tower, St Paul's, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben; the busy streets, shops, and markets, red buses and taxis; the River Thames and its bridges; art galleries, museums and parks; nightlife and theatre; Buckingham Palace and the Horse Guards — Royal London in all its splendour — or the Chelsea Flower Show — or the London Marathon.

When a body is found floating in a canal, strangely disfigured and with multiple stab wounds, Commissario Brunetti is called to investigate and is convinced he recognises the man from somewhere. However, with no identification except for the distinctive shoes the man was wearing, and no reports of people missing from the Venice area, the case cannot progress. Brunetti soon realises why he remembers the dead man, and asks Signorina Elettra if she can help him find footage of a farmers' protest the previous autumn. But what was his involvement with the protest, and what does it have to do with his murder? Acting on the fragile lead, Brunetti and Inspector Vianello set out to uncover the man's identity. Their investigation eventually takes them to a slaughterhouse on the mainland, where they discover the origin of the crime, and the world of blackmail and corruption that surrounds it. Both a gripping case and a harrowing exploration of the dark side of Italy's meat industry, Donna Leon's latest novel is a compelling addition to the Brunetti series.

Designed to lighten the load of already street-savvy New Yorkers, commuters, business travelers, and tourists. In this book, each map is marked with icons identifying our favorite picks around town, from essentials to entertainment, and includes a neighborhood description written by locals, highlighting the important features of each area.

A gripping historical thriller set in sixteenth-century England and centered on the highly secretive cult of Saint Thomas Becket, the twelfth-century archbishop murdered in Canterbury Cathedral. London, summer of 1584: Radical philosopher, ex-monk, and spy Giordano Bruno suspects he is being followed by an old enemy. He is shocked to discover that his pursuer is in fact Sophia Underhill, a young woman with whom he was once in love. When Bruno learns that Sophia has been accused of murdering her husband, a prominent magistrate in Canterbury, he agrees to do anything he can to help clear her name. In the city that was once England's greatest center of pilgrimage, Bruno begins to uncover unsuspected secrets that point to the dead man being part of a larger and more dangerous plot in the making. He must turn his detective's eye on history — on Saint Thomas Becket, the twelfth-century archbishop murdered in Canterbury Cathedral, and on the legend surrounding the disappearance of his body — in order to solve the crime. As Bruno's feelings for Sophia grow more intense, so does his fear that another murder is about to take place — perhaps his own. But more than Bruno's life is at stake in this vividly rendered, impeccably researched, and addictively page-turning whodunit — the stability of the kingdom hangs in the balance as Bruno hunts down a brutal murderer in the shadows of England's most ancient cathedral.

For 15-year-old Michael Berg, a chance meeting with an older woman leads to far more than he ever imagined. The woman in question is Hanna, and before long they embark on a passionate, clandestine love affair which leaves Michael both euphoric and confused. For Hanna is not all she seems. Years later, as a law student observing a trial in Germany, Michael is shocked to realize that the person in the dock is Hanna. The woman he had loved is a criminal. Much about her behaviour during the trial does not make sense. But then suddenly, and terribly, it does — Hanna is not only obliged to answer for a horrible crime, she is also desperately concealing an even deeper secret.

The escapes of Mole, Ratty, Toad, and Badger continue in this sequel to The Wind in the Willows. With lavish illustrations by Clint Young, Jacqueline Kelly masterfully evokes the magic of Kenneth Grahame's beloved children's classic and brings it to life for a whole new generation.

This dazzling introduction to dance features an entry for every letter of the alphabet, including a pronunciation guide and an accessible, informative definition. For instance, I is for Improvisation (im-pro-vi-ZAY-shun): making up the steps as one dances, and O is for Ouvert (oo-VAIR): a French word that refers to an open position of the feet in ballet.

Do you puzzle over participles, argue over agreement, or throw up your hands over the comma? This back-to-basics overview of the English language includes just what you need to know to make a great impression every day — in school, in life, online, and on the job. Each chapter, covering all the essentials from parts of speech to pronunciation to common pitfalls, includes concise, easy-to-find definitions and explanations, countless examples, fun facts, and tips. Parts of Speech: Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and more form the building blocks of the English language. Don't get tripped up by tenses, possessive pronouns, or adverbs ever again. Grammar: From the simplest sentences to the most complex, this quick guide to grammar shows how to construct phrases and clauses, fix fragments, maintain subject-verb agreement, and so much more. Spelling and Pronunciation: Avoid embarrassing gaffes and typos with this guide to common spellings, vowel and consonant sounds, and word stress. Punctuation: Eggs or egg's, the Smiths or the Smith's (or the Smiths') — proper punctuation makes all the difference. Never misplace another comma, misuse another apostrophe, or mistake another semicolon for an ink smudge. Clear Usage: Create sparkling sentences by using ten key principles of great writing, such as Don't use no double negatives, Steer clear of cliches, and It is thought that using passive voice should be avoided. (CK final keys). Pitfalls and Confusions: Avoid misunderstandings with this handy list of some of the most commonly confused words, spellings, and meanings — from affect and effect to your and you're.

Dan Ariely, behavioral economist and the New York Times bestselling author of The Upside of Irrationality and Predictably Irrational, examines the contradictory forces that drive us to cheat and keep us honest, in this groundbreaking look at the way we behave: The (Honest) Truth About Dishonesty. From ticket-fixing in our police departments to test-score scandals in our schools, from our elected leaders' extra-marital affairs to the Ponzi schemes undermining our economy, cheating and dishonesty are ubiquitous parts of our national news cycle — and inescapable parts of the human condition. Drawing on original experiments and research, in the vein of Freakonomics, The Tipping Point, and Survival of the Sickest, Ariely reveals — honestly — what motivates these irrational, but entirely human, behaviors.

Children find the crayon-bright colors of Lucy Cousin's artwork irresistible! Now her two newest characters — Katy Cat, a gregarious marmalade kitten, and her friend, Beaky Boo, a quiet cuddly puffin — introduce preschoolers to a medley of basic concepts, including colors, counting, patterns, and animal sounds.

Lucy Cousins's sweet story of a new sibling is back in a larger paperback format perfect for lap sharing. Za-Za's mom just had a new baby! He's very small, very loud, and very demanding. Mom and Dad are too busy with the baby to play, but Mom has an idea. «Why don't you hug the baby?» It's hard not being the center of attention all the time, but being an older sibling can be fun, as little Za-Za finds out in this reassuring book from the creator of «Maisy.»

A colorful fold-out board book and growth chart— parents and little ones won’t want to miss an inch! Celebrate growing little ones and their growing worlds with this beautiful fold-out board book. Parents and babies can use one side of the book to discover a variety of growing things through charming images of swaying trees, tropical fruits, baby animals, a celebratory poem, and a mirror so baby can watch herself grow. Flip the book over for a gorgeous growth chart that helps parents track their child’s height, inch by colorful inch. This book is made of sturdy, lightweight board with a ribbon hanger to be securely hung on a wall. The book comes packaged in an elegant gift box and includes a sheet of Curious George stickers and height markers for the growth chart.

This boxed set collects five classic fairy tales, creatively told and beautifully illustrated, for all ages. Former British Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo lends wonderful detail and color to Hansel and Gretel and The Pied Piper of Hamelin, both illustrated in Emma Chichester Clark's expressive and detailed watercolor cartoons. Niamh Sharkey imagines Cinderella in caricatures of colored pencil and paint, while Max Eilenberg's winking text is full of sound effects and asides. For Beauty and the Beast, however, he gives the tale the gravity it requires, while Angela Barrett's haunting drawings depict a world made of magic. And Naomi Lewis's The Snow Queen is more a translation than a retelling, capturing the nuances of the original Hans Christian Andersen masterpiece, and is gorgeously illustrated with Christian Birmingham's lush and striking paintings.

When a big show-off dinosaur learns to share, he discovers two really, really, really good new friends. And you'll never guess where he finds one of them! After children spot the cleverly hidden character in the illustrations, they'll want to go back and read the story again and again.

First appearing around 1400, The Alliterative Morte Arthure, or, The Death of King Arthur, is one of the most widely beloved and spectacularly alliterative poems ever penned in Middle English. Now, from the internationally acclaimed translator of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, comes this magisterial new presentation of the Arthurian tale, rendered in unflinching and gory detail. Following Arthur's bloody conquests across the cities and fields of Europe, all the way to his spectacular and even bloodier fall, this masterpiece features some of the most spellbinding and poignant passages in English poetry. Never before have the deaths of Arthur's loyal knights, his own final hours, and the subsequent burial been so poignantly evoked. Echoing the lyrical passion that so distinguished Seamus Heaney's Beowulf, Simon Armitage has produced a virtuosic new translation that promises to become both the literary event of the year and the definitive edition for generations to come.

Bursting with colorful pictures, key concepts, first words, favorite things from a young child's world, and interactive games, this is a book for parents and children to explore together. But little ones will also love returning to it on their own! A one-stop, fun shop to give every toddler the best start on the road to learning.

This is the authoritative exploration of the man behind Middle Earth. From Tolkien's Bletchley Park connection to the 'publishing risk' of The Lord of the Rings, this latest addition to the Amazing & Extraordinary series explores J.R.R.Tolkien's inventiveness, the sources of his inspiration and the fellowship of his fan base. Brimming with strange and amusing facts, Amazing & Extraordinary Facts: J.R.R Tolkien explores all aspects of the incredible Tolkien phenomenon. Brief, accessible and entertaining pieces on a wide variety of subjects makes it the perfect book to dip in to. The amazing and extraordinary facts series presents interesting, surprising and little-known facts and stories about a wide range of topics which are guaranteed to inform, absorb and entertain in equal measure.

London is full of animals. They are hidden in crumbling graveyards, daubed in canal-bank graffiti, perched atop rooftops. But in the hustle-and-bustle at street-level they are all too often overlooked. This quirky guidebook, with its gorgeous photography, brings to life the animal artworks that give London its unique character. From rabbits, owls, dogs and cats to tortoises, dolphins, sharks and gorillas, a menagerie of creatures inhabits every corner of the capital from Tobacco Docks to Crystal Palace, Bankside to Hackney.They span both ancient and modern too: monstrous medieval gargoyles lurk down damp alleyways, while in a modern urban wasteland there lives a 'mechanosaurous' made out of car parts by scrap merchants. These animals fill London with life. From the moment you spy one in the undergrowth of a neglected park, or spot for the first time one clinging to the parapet of a classic landmark, you will embark on a remarkable topographical treasure-hunt.