The story of the author's quest to climb the 4000m mountains of the Alps with informative chapters on the practicalities and distinctive features of alpine climbing. There are detailed descriptions of climbing and travelling amongst the Alps and stunning photography with action shots of climbing.
Analysis of the Eastern Christians during the Great War trapped between the Ottomans and the Entente powers; of relevance even today
Neil M. Gunn is celebrated as one of Scotland's foremost novelists of the 20th century. Less well known is that he was also a perceptive and meditative essayist and accomplished writer of short stories. Most of his short stories were written in the 1920s and 1930s in parallel with his early novels, which they influence and inform. This collection draws some of its short stories from two previous collections but others are published for the first time. Although most are set against a Highland background, they are not in any way parochial; they touch on universal themes, which invite the serious reader to ponder and enjoy. Topics explored are: childhood and a sense of wonder; love in its deepest and most subtle sense; death as part of the cycle of existence and the place of land and sea in the development of those in search of greater self-understanding. The stories are attractive in their own right and have a freshness and immediacy that give a clarity and accessibility to the rich subject matter. They are also a gateway to a greater understanding of Gunn's essential thinking on life and living.
As senior surgeon on board Discovery, Dr. Reginald Koettlitz played a vital role in the heroic period of polar exploration when Nansen, Amundsen, Shackleton and Scott dominated the headlines. He was awarded a medal by the Royal Geographical Society for his role in the Discovery Expedition, 1901-04. During the earlier successful three-year Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition to Franz Josef Land, Koettlitz fine-tuned his measures to prevent scurvy, became an experienced ski runner, dog and pony handler and expert in polar survival. These skills were available when Koettlitz was appointed senior surgeon on the Discovery Expedition led by Scott, but due to personal reasons and the inability to acknowledge Koettlitz's polar experience, both Scott's expeditions were beset by major life-threatening issues that Koettlitz had faced and resolved on Franz Josef Land. On the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition Scott and his four companions died on their failed attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole. In addition, Koettlitz travelled across north-east Africa from Berbera to Cairo on foot, mule and camel, crossing the Blue Nile to Khartoum shortly after the Battle of Omdurman. Before leaving for South Africa he assisted Shackleton in planning the Nimrod Expedition which almost resulted in the South Pole being reached. This well-researched account is enriched with previously unseen archive material such as correspondence with Nansen and photographs relating to polar history during the period 1890-1916.
*Third edition of an established book *Covers the requirements of all appropriate Eurocodes *Provides a complete design example
Hard-hitting discussion about integration, forced marriages and honour killings - and the solutions
This dictionary provides a synthesis of information currently available but only in a diverse array of sources. Through judicious choice and careful scrutiny, the author has gathered together a very handy ready-reference in the same style as his companion volumes, Dictionary of Energy and Fuels and Dictionary of Fire Protection Engineering. Although the material covered is diverse, particular entries are focused and linked with each other so as to provide a good degree of comprehensiveness. For example, there is much information on well engineering including example calculations, and this is linked to wells at particular oil fields. There is also much on offshore production and again principles are linked, often by calculation, with particular offshore production platforms. The North Sea features, but not exclusively, and the vast bulk of the information presented is relevant to all locations. Commercial products, including those for oil well maintenance, are featured and information on the web from suppliers is expanded by drawing on the physics and chemistry of how such products work
A novel of extraordinary power focusing on a woman evicted in the Clearances who throughout a life's hard toil keeps the memory of her people's travail.
Palm oil is the quintessence of West Africa - it is complex, an acquired taste and reckoned to be rather unhealthy. Small chop is the addition of ingredients that make it palatable for European taste. From the unique perspective of working aboard merchant ships trading to the area, the author provides a viewpoint of the first 25 years of West African independence - it is simultaneously the story of the final years of many of the British Merchant Navy's liner trades where fortunes largely depended upon imperial routes. The author served in ships of three very different shipping companies, two British and one Nigerian, and from this unusual breadth of experience, a fascinating story of ships, their crews, their cargoes and the peoples from Senegal to Angola is told. The last of the famous surf ports, the navigation of the twisting waterways of the Niger Delta and the ascent of the great Congo River are vividly described. A colourful picture is painted of the astonishing variety of cargoes and how ships almost literally felt their way across treacherous mudbanks, picked their way through mangrove-bordered creeks with local pilots boarding from canoes. The reader also meets the local inhabitants who include hard-working men from the desert interior, their more wily brethren from the coastal regions, itinerant traders and plausible rogues, the cowed workers of Portuguese Angola and, above all, the famous Kroomen of Freetown who helped work the ships around this intriguing coast of crashing surf and foetid creeks. With the fortunes of the new nations faltering, the Palm Line ships are forced to find work in other trades. The author experiences daily life in Poland under martial law, later finding himself on voyages to Brazil, the Indian sub-continent and Australia aboard ships primarily designed for the West African ports. Told sympathetically, yet with a keen eye for the absurd and downright funny, this is a lively, informative story of ordinary people trying to make a living in a world where events, over which they have no control, change their lives irreversibly.
A fascinating account of the life and career of an outstanding engineer, and a vivid portrait of Rudolph Glossop and his achievements
Visual guide to varied geological/geomorphological situations. Profusely illustrated with over 400 photographs and diagrams. The ideal first step to gain an overview of a site for investigation.
Descended from a Haddington family of printers and booksellers, Patrick Neill became head of the most prestigious printing firm in Edinburgh. Leaving his manager to run the business, he devoted his life to writing, natural history, horticulture and civic duties. His early tour of Orkney and Shetland provided an insight into the social life of the islands and he regaled readers of the Scots Magazine with an intriguing running commentary on events in the Lothians. His survey of both private and commercial gardens and orchards in Scotland was a landmark publication and he published a perceptive account of his travels in northern Europe to discover whether any of their horticultural methods might be worth adopting. As a founder member and secretary for 40 years of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, he was a key figure in its successful establishment. He was also a founder member and secretary of the Wernerian Natural History Society, whose origins related to the dominating geological controversy of that era. His role as secretary brought him into contact with most of the natural scientists in Scotland and distinguished botanists and other scientists were frequently around Neill's dinner table. His wide circle of friends included famous figures such as William Jackson Hooker and his son Joseph, Robert Brown, Sir William Jardine, Sir Calverly Trevelyan, Robert Stevenson, the McNabs, father and son, of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the maverick botanist George Don. To cap it all Neill won national recognition for the unparalleled diversity of species of plants, including newly-introduced species, in his remarkable garden at Canonmills. According to Loudon, the famous landscape designer, it was the richest urban garden in the country. This engaging book contains a wealth of historically valuable observations and also an insight into Edinburgh's scientific scene in the early 19th century. Patrick Neill is revealed as one the most interesting Scotsmen of the 19th century in terms of the variety of enterprises he fostered and the friendships he enjoyed with so many natural scientists of his day.
Hillwalking is a way of life for Robin Howie, whose name is very well-known in Scottish hillwalking circles and whose knowledge of the Scottish high tops is second to none. For over ten years his popular weekly hillwalking column has appeared in The Scotsman where his pleasure of walking in the hills is apparent to the reader. Some claim to buy the paper solely to read his column while others have long-demanded that his walks be made into a book. Generous with his help and advice to other walkers, this collection of shorter, lower-level walks will appeal to families and those less sure of venturing to the high tops. Conveniently arranged within shires with a location map, each walk has a useful factfile that summarises the map, start point, distance, terrain, duration of walk, height to be climbed and the all-important nearest refreshment point. 100 Scotsman Walks is a distillation of a lifetime of highs and lows, enhanced by the artist's eye and the wordsmith's descriptive powers. It will be a delight for active or ex-walkers, for the would-be explorer or armchair enthusiast, for the whole family, young or old - a book in fact for everyone.
Simon Hall went to sea in search of a way of life that he believed was glamorous, adventurous and disciplined, a life where smartly-uniformed men ran ships in a tightly organised manner. At this time the British fleet was still one of the largest in the world and the Red Ensign a common sight in most large ports. In over three years as a Deck Cadet he explored this world and although he uncovered much of the magic of the sea, he also encountered brutality, exploitation, dizzying hard work and frightening bouts of violence. From the rigidity of naval college to the heat and sweat of working as a deck-hand in the South China Sea, the book charts Simon's progress from a nave and callow school-leaver to a strong young man. On that road he encountered a cast of people that were beyond his wildest imagination. He met the bad: sadists, bullies, madmen; and the sad: alcoholics, prostitutes, drug addicts. And sometimes people so good they diminished him. The author tells of nights so cold the water froze on his hands; of days when the sun was so hot he could hear his skin sizzle and of times when the ship steamed through wild seas that rushed over the deck like boiling foam. With a thread of humour running throughout, he writes of the shipboard camaraderie and the wild jaunts ashore in exotic places. As he tramped around the backwaters of the world, he encountered a rarely-experienced side of life that at times became almost surreal, making this an extremely different travelogue. This is an incisive and colourful commentary of men living and working together in extreme circumstances and a coming-of-age book like no other. Under a Yellow Sky shines a backward light on a world that has now disappeared.
An appealing book that rightfully raises the profile of the kestrel. It provides an extensive picture of this delightful falcon, including its lifestyle and the factors that affect its breeding success and survival. This is based upon almost 40 years' monitoring of the kestrel in south-west Scotland and further afield by the author and colleagues, giving a flavour of the integrated approach to monitoring and conservation. As well as the wealth of factual data, there are entertaining anecdotes and stories both from the author's experiences and from the wider media coverage of this raptor over the years. The reader is taken to exotic locations such as the Seychelles, Mauritius and the Cape Verde Islands to see the endemic island kestrels which have always held a great fascination for the author. Latest figures show an alarming decline of 36% in the kestrel population in the UK, with even more dramatic falls such as 64% in Scotland. The fieldwork techniques which play such an important role are detailed in a composite breeding season. The kestrel is not portrayed in isolation and the bird's current circumstance is tied into the bigger picture of raptor conservation and the struggle against sustained persecution. The author reflects upon the political, economic and conservation issues that have dominated this field in the past few decades and through this personal and well-informed account the reader gains access to the world of the kestrel.
Dedicated 20-year study of an iconic species in Northern Ireland
Neil M Gunn (1892 - 1973), one of Scotland's most distinguished and highly regarded novelists of the 20th century, was a prolific writer. While he is best known for his fictional work Gunn was also a perceptive and meditative essayist who wrote extensively throughout his life on a wide range of subjects from landscape, nature and fishing to politics, nationalism and current affairs. Belief in Ourselves is a collection of essays that focuses on politics in the widest sense, embracing group activity in all its forms from nationalism to both communal work in a social sense and co-operation in crofting and fishing; the focus extends also to literature as a source of inspiration for a nation and a provider of national identity. That most of the essays were written between the two world wars - a period of political uncertainty and economic crisis - brings a sense of urgency to the writer in terms of the resolution of the problems and the exploration of the ideas aired by him. Many of the problems he identifies remain with us, albeit in different forms. Indeed, the imaginative and enlightened way in which Gunn looks at the events of his day have a strange relevance for today's world. This forms a sister volume to the earlier Landscape to Light, which concentrates on his native landscape and culture and the spiritual aspects of his life and thought. As with Landscape to Light, much of what Gunn writes informs his fictional work.
The author's misadventures during his 30-year involvement with caving and cave diving.
The first book to deal comprehensively with the subject. Written by an acknowledged international expert. Includes vital information for geologists and engineers working with the Chalk in any geological or construction project. Years of accumulated knowledge, expertise and data.
The barn owl is a 'flagship' species, at the top of the food chain, and its presence or absence is a good indicator of the health of the countryside. This is the enjoyable and informative story of the author's success in restoring this beautiful bird to areas of the country where its numbers had catastrophically declined. From an upbringing in the Lake District, the author developed a deep interest in natural history which became an all-consuming passion. As a 'licensed rehabilitation keeper', he cared for a wide range of injured and orphaned wildlife, giving individuals a second chance by returning them to the wild. He reveals how and why he later graduated to barn owl conservation. The author describes his many encounters with barn owls, from the acquisition of his first breeding pair; 'Barney', a completely humanised owl; to stories of the fascinating array of people involved in releasing, studying, and simply marvelling at this beautiful bird. Although there is a funny side to most situations, there are also the inevitable disasters and disappointments of conservation work, such as the accidental or deliberate sabotaging of releases or the killing of released birds. The reader shares in the author's disappointment and frustration at the sheer cost in time and money and his frequent self-doubt about the success of the whole exercise. However, there are descriptions of more enjoyable activities such as bird ringing, watching home-grown birds metamorphose from ugly pink scraps into creatures of ethereal beauty, and the seemingly limitless energy and enthusiasm of countless landowners and volunteers who are totally committed to the reintroduction of the barn owl. After almost 20 years, there is now evidence of a marked increase in barn owl numbers in areas where the author has worked. During this period, he bred and released around 250 birds, put up nest boxes and advised on barn owl-friendly approaches to land management. These activities helped to reverse the decline in population as areas were repopulated and also created reservoirs of wild breeding barn owls, whose offspring colonised other under-populated parts of the country. The return of the barn owl not only heralds a brighter future for the British countryside, but also shows, at a time of great public concern about the state of planet Earth, that the negative effects of human activity on the environment can be reversed with effort, goodwill and determination.
Numerous case studies with practical information. Keynote addresses from leading academics and practitioners. A timely assessment of all aspects of reclamation
This is an action-packed book full of anecdotal adventure as the author takes readers on his journeys to find wildlife around the world. As a professional zoologist, his career has taken him to six of the world's seven continents for research, photography, tourism or film-making. What makes this book really special is that Dan has also written about the people he has taken with him, the people they have encountered and the histories and politics of the countries in which they have worked. Thus, the man-eating tiger story also touches on human poverty and the impact of climate change on Bangladesh; the Australian grasswren story tells how Dan was exploited in his junior role in the Natural History Museum; the African safari covers a terrifying near-death experience with swarming killer bees during the reign of Idi Amin; the giant oak story is set partially in Ukraine, at a time when it was still coming to terms with its new identity following the break-up of the USSR. In 'Bonding with Spiders' Dan meets the original James Bond, the bird-eating spider from Dr No and has his own nightmarish encounter in the Australian bush, sharing his tent with a giant spider! Other stories include the battle between young lions and older rivals, filming piranhas in South America, tortoises in France, and wolves, bears and ibex in Italy. And just to show that wildlife drama takes place in our own back gardens, Dan writes about a male blackbird that survived an attack by a neighbour's cat and then grew up to raise its young under the watchful eye of a local sparrowhawk. Complemented with line drawings by Robin Prytherch, this is a powerful and evocative collection of stories, the result of 45 years engaging with animals and people on six continents. Dan has observed his subjects with a naturalist's passion for detail, resulting in a book that is engaging, informative and highly revealing. Although some of the creatures would make you want to run a mile, the book will be hard to put down!
Situated on the south side of the Firth of Forth, the port of Leith, Edinburgh, is a major harbour for warships and cruise liners. Over hundreds of years it has been a trading port and a military dockyard. With Rosyth Dockyard situated further west, this busy waterway has two historically-important destinations for vessels and over time, many vessels were sunk during storms, failed to avoid collisions or were wartime victims of U-boats or aircraft. From Leith Docks the river widens forming a huge estuary filled with volcanic islands and submerged pinnacles that are blasted by fierce tidal streams, providing an opportunity for some fantastic scenic diving. This is also the final resting place of hundreds of shipwrecks, many of which are of especial historical importance. For the diver there is so much to explore in these new and exciting deeper wrecks that have the added attraction of being little known. These wrecks include an aircraft carrier, a German light cruiser that saw action at the Battle of Jutland, aircraft and even steam-powered submarines are all there waiting to be dived. Unlike the well-documented and dived River Clyde wrecks on the west coast, or those in the English Channel, these in the Firth of Forth are rarely mentioned - although many lie within a 20-mile radius of Edinburgh. The author has dived all the 100 sites and wrecks in the book and as a professional underwater photographer has provided truly atmospheric images that capture the special identity of these East coast wrecks and reefs. As well as his detailed knowledge of the sites, the author has also given his recommendations for dive sites, including their GPS positions, safety, and skill level required. Practical information such as dive centres, dive boats, accommodation and onshore activities is also included. This guide will help divers select the best dives to suit local weather conditions and to find the best scenic sites. It includes all the new and exciting dive sites recently found in areas such as Burntisland, North Berwick, Dunbar, St. Abbs and Eyemouth and information on how best to dive them - an absolute must for divers visiting this area!
Structural design explained simply. Full reference to Eurocode 9. Guidance based upon years of practical experience. Useful tables summarising practical data. A rapid reference source for engineers.
In April 2006 the author became the first person to single-handedly circumnavigate Scotland by boat and bike. Setting out on this ultimate adventure from Kirkcudbright on the Solway Firth, Alan sailed around Scotland on a 50-foot yacht to the north-east coast of England. After 16 exhausting days on the yacht, he then cycled 163 miles back to the starting point in Kirkcudbright. The 1000-mile voyage took Alan in the yacht Pegasus to the wild open Atlantic Ocean passing Islay, Barra Head, St Kilda, North Rona and round Muckle Flugga, the most northerly point of the UK, before landing at Blyth, Northumberland. The cycle trip crossed England and brought Alan back into Scotland at Gretna and from there he followed the Solway coastal route back to the church gates in Kirkcudbright. This herculean challenge required detailed planning and attracted over 20 people into the support team including an Olympic weather router, an Olympic sail-maker, a round-the-world skipper, a renowned sleep management specialist and a multiple champion in Scottish sailing. The motivation behind the trip came from Alan's deep-rooted desire to take on a challenge that would test his skills, resolve, stamina and sheer willpower to get the job done. It also provided him with an opportunity to raise money for two charities - the Parkinson's Disease Society and Ocean Youth Trust Scotland which will both benefit from sales of this book. Solo Round Scotland is an account of the whole experience at sea and on the road. Alan vividly tells the story of preparing for the challenge and also experiences such as when he was beset with gear failure and was forced to take the wheel for 12 hours in force 8 gales. This exhilarating story follows the highs and lows as Alan battles to achieve his goal of becoming the first person to circumnavigate Scotland by boat and bike.
Rigorous analysis of a complete structure. Complete compliance with EC3. Full examination of all conditions necessary prior to analysis.
An alchemic blend of travel and nature writing that explores the primary dilemma of the 21st century - the conflict of modern lifestyles with the natural environment. This is an account of the author's journey from the Cape to the Serengeti Plains and his search for an answer to the Old Timer, a Kenyan who foretold the end of the wild. Martyn decided on one more trip, but this time without an agenda, without a timetable and without preconceptions: with no purpose other than to know, to feel and to understand. The book is filled with insights of African elephants and antelope, and with portraits of a natural world inhabited by Bushmen, game wardens and scientists. Running through it is an outspoken and highly ethical regard for humankind's relationship with nature. From his first contact with Bushman rock art in the Western Cape, the author is drawn into a spiritual journey as he grapples with the quandary of balancing our lifestyles with protecting the environment. His travelling companion, Stu, a fellow scientist and arch cynic, is nettled by this lack of rationality. Marooned together the friction, humour and hardship of their journey carry the reader across the continent from one adventure to another, to the final revelation atop an isolated kopje in the heart of the Serengeti Plains. The Storm Leopard is a unique book that emanates from the author's passionate affair with nature and many years of experience in the field as an ecologist and consultant in conservation - nothing deals with today's environmental issues in the same way.
Luftwaffe over Scotland is the first complete history of the air attacks mounted against Scotland by Nazi Germany during World War Two and undertakes a detailed examination of the strategy, tactics and politics involved on both sides, together with a technical critique of the weaponry employed by both attackers and defenders. Extensive figures on Scottish civilian casualties have been included, together with a full list of all Scottish locations that were bombed and details of German aircraft losses. From the relentless hit-and-run attacks up the east coast of Scotland to the calamities of Clydebank and Greenock, Luftwaffe over Scotland not only offers a detailed analysis of exactly what happened, but also provides fresh new evidence and claims regarding many aspects of the war in Scotland - some of them specifically at odds with the more traditional British portrayals of World War Two. Luftwaffe over Scotland draws on a wide variety of sources, such as official archives, articles, letters and personal testimonies, including information about German Luftwaffe operations, to paint the first full and accurate picture of the dramatic and often brutal air attacks that took place in almost every village, town and city in Scotland during World War Two. From a detailed analysis of the attacking German forces, to an explanation of the strengths and weaknesses of the air defences around Scotland, this is an important and long-overdue contribution to the full understanding of this dramatic period in the history of the modern Scottish nation.
Highlights the wasted potential of women as a vital and untapped asset in the labour force of developing countries
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