Penguin Group

It happens all the time: you're watching the Champion's League, pondering Robert Kilroy Silk's unnatural glow, reading the latest newspaper debate about EU bendy banana laws, and thinking: what's really going on in Europe? Does anyone actually know what they're talking about? And where are Riga and Vilnius anyway? You needn't worry any more. With this armchair guide you'll discover the strange and fascinating world that calls itself Europe — without ever having to leave your own home. There are insights into culture (how to join the Finns beating themselves with birch twigs in the sauna); the lowdown on the people that matter (porn stars turned politicians in Italy); fascinating facts and explanations of historical rifts (and you thought the relationship between Britain and France was bad). You'll find out how to talk like Berlusconi, unravel the workings of the EU and guide yourself from the Baltics to Belgium, Portugal to Poland. The Armchair Diplomat: Europe offers the basics of euro-education for very little pain. Perfect for slackers with a passion for travel.

Twelve-year-old villain, Artemis Fowl, is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. His bold and daring plan is to hold a leprechaun to ransom. But he's taking on more than he bargained for when he kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Unit). For a start, leprechaun technology is more advanced than our own. Add to that the fact that Holly is a true heroine and that her senior officer Commander Root will stop at nothing to get her back and you've got the mother of all sieges brewing!

A Beginner's Guide to Reality is an introduction to philosophy for people who don't read philosophy. Jim Baggott's sources range from Aristotle to The Matrix. He examines the major developments in Western philosophical thought on the nature of reality, at each of three levels — social, perceptual and physical. (Do money, colour, or photons exist?) The book systematically investigates these levels, peeling away the assumptions we make about those parts of reality that we take for granted.

Zoe, Jennifer, and Nadia are three women with nothing in common. Except for the man who wants to kill them. He sends them terrifying letters, full of the intimate details of their lives — the clothes they wear, their little habits, how they act when they think they're alone — and promises that he will bring those lives to a violent, horrible end. But not before he has enjoyed himself. Invisible and apparently unstoppable, he delights in watching the women suffer, thrilled by his power to destroy their lives and their faith in those closest to them; to leave them utterly helpless, alone in their terror and confusion. But they're not all as helpless as he thinks ...

Twenty wickedly anarchic tales from the master of the unpredictable, chosen from his bestsellers «Over to You», «Someone Like You», «Kiss Kiss» and «Switch Bitch». Stylish, outrageous and haunting, they explore the sinister side of the human psyche with unexpected outcomes. There's the wife who serves up a murderous new dish to her husband, the gambler who collects little fingers from losers, the sound machine that can hear the grass scream, and the night-time seduction that has macabre consequences, to name a few.

Twenty wickedly anarchic tales from the master of the unpredictable, chosen from his bestsellers Over to You, Someone Like You, Kiss Kiss and Switch Bitch. Stylish, outrageous and haunting, they explore the sinister side of the human psyche with unexpected outcomes. There's the wife who serves up a murderous new dish to her husband, the gambler who collects little fingers from losers, the sound machine that can hear the grass scream, and the night-time seduction that has macabre consequences, to name a few ...

Kathleen Flynn-Hui — hairdresser to the stars — takes readers behind the frosted glass panels of the top salons and into the glamorous and bitchy world of women (and men) who'd kill for a handful of honeyed highlights. Beyond the Blonde follows the fortunes of Georgia, a small-town girl with big-city ambitions as she makes her ascent to the position of colourist at one of the most exclusive salons in New York. But if Georgia is to achieve the heady heights of urban salon success first she must battle bullies, find romance, endure heartbreak and betrayal. Can she make the cut? Or will it all unravel like a perm in a rainstorm? Anyone who loved The Nanny Diaries for its peek into an unknown world of slavery and hardship will adore Beyond the Blonde for similar reasons. And as for those who couldn't miss an episode of Cutting It, here is the ideal book to plug the gap between series. In this superb roman-a-clef, Kathleen Flynn-Hui tells it like it is and gives readers more than one opportunity to spot the stars behind the stories ...

An early morning call to a dying millionaire sets private eye Philip Marlowe on the fast inside track of West Hollywood's hidden sewer of blackmail, menace and muscle. Neither of General Sternwood's daughters, it seems, is going to come up smelling of roses. Marlowe senses it is his job to protect the two women. But then he hadn't considered himself becoming part of the wholesale nastiness of it all ... Throughout the 1940s and 1950s Philip Marlowe stalked the tawdry neon wilderness of southern California. There Raymond Chandler's creation became the most famous fictional detective since Sherlock Holmes, often imitated, never bettered.

'It's the same small world; it just depends who you are and how you see it' Birthday Girls is Annabel Giles' sparklingly compulsive debut. Set on six different birthdays, and dealing with six different women who are all connected to each other, though they don't all realise it, the story opens with Scarlett, on her 10th birthday, and closes with Constance, on her 60th birthday. Funny, tragic and engrossing, Birthday Girls is a must-read book from a major new voice in women's fiction.

In the waning days of World War II, the Japanese tried a last desperate measure — a different kind of kamikaze mission, this one carried out by two submarines bound for the west coast of the United States, their cargo a revolutionary new strain of biological virus. Neither sub made it to the designated target. But that does not mean they were lost. Someone knows about the subs and what they carried, knows too where they might be, and has an extraordinary plan in for the prize inside — a plan that could reshape the world as we know it. All that stands in the way are three people: a marine biologist named Summer, a marine engineer named Dirk, and their father, Dirk Pitt, the new head of NUMA. Pitt has faced devastating enemies before, has even teamed up with his children to track them down. But never has he looked upon the face of pure evil ... until now. Filled with dazzling suspense and breathtaking action, Black Wind is Cussler at the height of his storytelling powers.

You need three things to become a brave and noble knight: A warhorse. A fair maiden. A just cause. Will has a horse — a small chestnut stallion with a white blaze on his brow. Ellie is a fair maiden — but she's supposed to marry Will's older brother, Gavin. And as for the cause, King Richard is calling for a Crusade. The Knights of England must go to the Holy Land to fight. Will and Gavin will go. Blood will be shed. Lives will be wasted. But through it all, two things will be constant — Ellie, and a blood-red horse called Hosanna ...

Penguin Student Editions are complete unabridged texts of Penguin Classics, Modern Classics and some more recent titles, packaged with reading help for the student in the form of: — accessible yet authoritative introductions — glossary of cultural references and unfamiliar words — stimulating activities and discussion points, including activities needed to prepare for essays and examinations — chapter-by-chapter summaries — plot and character outlines — chronology of the historical events of the time — overview of the ways famous critics have read the books A student-friendly approach to literature — the way students want to read. A haunting love story set against the fear and violence of Ulster, where tenderness and innocence must struggle to survive.

In this nightmare vision of a not-too-distant future, fifteen-year-old Alex and his three friends rob, rape, torture and murder — for fun. Alex is jailed for his vicious crimes and the State undertakes to reform him — but how and at what cost?

‘He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a little hole in the wall the children had crept in … the trees were so glad to have the children back again that they had covered themselves with blossoms’ Fairy tales, ghost stories, detective fiction and comedies of manners – the stories collected in this volume made Oscar Wilde’s name as a writer of fiction, showing breathtaking dexterity in a wide range of literary styles. Victorian moral justice is comically inverted in ‘Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime’ and ‘The Canterville Ghost’, and society’s materialism comes under sharp, humorous criticism in ‘The Model Millionaire’, while ‘The Happy Prince’ and ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’ are hauntingly melancholic in their magical evocations of selfless love. These small masterpieces convey the brilliance of Wilde’s vision, exploring complex moral issues through an elegant juxtaposition of wit and sentiment. This edition includes the complete texts of Wilde’s three volumes of short fiction, together with ‘The Portrait of Mr W. H.’. Ian Small’s introduction discusses Wilde’s life, the cultural and literary background to his fiction, and the complex ways in which it can be read.

Take a pinch of unease. Stir it into a large dollop of the macabre, add a generous helping of dark and stylish wit, garnish with the bizarre and what do you have? Roald Dahl at his brilliant, hypnotizing best, cooking up some of the unusual stories ever told. Here in one volume are Tales of the Unexpected and More Tales of the Unexpected, making this a superb compendium of vengeance , surprise and dark delight.

The famous tale of adventure, courage and loyalty in the South Seas. Fifteen-year-old Ralph, mischievous young Peterkin and clever, brave Jack are shipwrecked on a coral reef with only a telescope and a broken penknife between them. At first the island seems a paradise, with its plentiful foods and wealth of natural wonders. But then a party of cannibals arrives, and after that a pirate ship . . .

Welcome to the world of Connie Pickles: Best Friend #1 — Julie: Big boobs. Big ideas. Big fibber. Best Friend #2 — William: Giver of chocolate buttons. A shoulder for Connie to cry on. Makes other girls flutter and blush. Best Friend #3 — Delilah: Hormone-crazed victim of a girls-only school. Flutters and blushes A LOT. Mother: French. Beautiful. Broke. Bra-expert. A romantic disaster area. Needs help. Connie used to be the only sensible person in her world. But now her life is spiralling out of control. Her mother refuses to fall for the right man, William is acting strangely and Connie's own heart is in tatters. So with a little help (and a lot of hindrance) from her friends, she sets out to solve the eternal mysteries of love, money, French things (including kisses) and incredibly uncomfortable underwear.

From Aardvark to Zipfizzing, this is THE alphabetical guide to everything you ever needed to know — and a lot that you didn't — about Britain's best-loved, bestselling children's writer, packed with fascinating and completely unnecessary facts about Dahl's life, books and family. With snippets from his school reports, secrets that he shared with his best friends and the truth about where he got the inspiration for his most famous creations — once you dip in to D is for Dahl you'll be sucked into an irresistible vortex and come out a complete Dahlmaniac!

A new edition of this famous story of Danny and his father who outwit their greedy, rich neighbour, Mr Victor Hazell.

Like most families they had their secrets. And hid them under a genteelly respectable veneer. No onlooker would guess that Vera Hillyard and her beautiful sister, Eden, were locked in a dark and bitter combat over one of those secrets. England in the fifties was not kind to women who erred so they had to fight it out behind closed curtains using every weapon they had. In this case, murder.

a ragdoll a postcard from Marrakech a rainbow-stripe hat a dreamcatcher a silver necklace with a pink stone in Dizzy's mum left when she was small. But every year, on her birthday, something arrives in the post — a present or a card with her mum's loopy writing on. Dizzy has kept everything. But this year is different. This year's present is her mum, in person. Tanned and skinny with loads of earrings and a huge smile, Storm is a human whirlwind. She whisks Dizzy away for a summer that puts her whole world in a spin.

A tongue-in-cheek — and burger in hand — look at the legal, financial and physical costs of our hunger for fast food, by the funniest and most incisive new voice since Michael Moore. Can a man live on fast food alone? Morgan Spurlock tried. For thirty days he ate nothing but three 'square' meals a day from McDonald's as part of an investigation into the effects of fast food on our health. Don't Eat This Book gives the full background story to the experiment that so captivated audiences around the world in the documentary Super Size Me, and explores in further depth the connections between the rise of fast food and obesity. In this groundbreaking and hilarious book of epic portions, Morgan Spurlock lays bare the devastating facts for all to see

Hannah and Joey have been best friends for ever. Joey's parents love rescuing things and making them beautiful — their house is full of things made from driftwood, old glass and shells from the beach. Which is why the scraggy kittens the girls find in a bin at school end up living there. And when Paul moves in as Joey's foster brother, everyone thinks that maybe he needs rescuing too. But nobody knows quite how badly. At first, it's great — Hannah's brother befriends Paul, and the four of them hang out together. But then things start to go wrong. Paul is being bullied. Subtly at first — but quickly it gets dangerous. People aren't like driftwood or abandoned kittens and Hannah doesn't know how to rescue him. Paul doesn't want to be rescued — but with help, he can find a way to save himself.

Set in the rich farmland of California’s Salinas Valley, this powerful, often shocking, story follows the intertwined destinies of two families – the Trasks and the Hamiltons – whose generations helplessly re-play the fall of Adam and Eve and the murderous rivalry of Cain and Abel. His most ambitious novel, East of Eden saw Steinbeck create some of his most memorable and extraordinary characters, and explore his most enduring and powerful themes: the mystery of identity; the inexplicability of love, and the murderous consequences of love’s absence.