Chanel's Riviera by Anne De Courcy

$38.00 NZD

Category: Non-Fiction General | Reading Level: 4 Non Fiction

Far from worrying about the onset of war, in the spring of 1938 the burning question on the French Riviera was whether one should curtsey to the Duchess of Windsor. Few of those who had settled there thought much about what was going on in the rest of Europe. It was a golden, glamorous life, far removed from politics or conflict. Featuring a sparkling cast of artists, writers and historical figures including Winston Churchill, Daisy Fellowes, Salvador Dalí, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Eileen Gray and Edith Wharton, with the enigmatic Coco Chanel at its heart, CHANEL'S RIVIERA is a captivating account of a period that saw some of the deepest extremes of luxury and terror in the whole of the twentieth century. From Chanel's first summer at her Roquebrune villa La Pausa (in the later years with her German lover) amid the glamour of the pre-war parties and casinos in Antibes, Nice and Cannes to the horrors of evacuation and the displacement of thousands of families during the Second World War, CHANEL'S RIVIERA explores the fascinating world of the Cote d'Azur elite in the 1930s and 1940s. Enriched with much original research, it is social history that brings the experiences of both rich and poor, protected and persecuted, to vivid life. ...Show more

The Book of Knowing: Know How You Think, Change How You Feel by Gwendoline Smith (Dr Know)

$25.00 NZD

Category: Non-Fiction General

Written in an accessible and humorous style, this book teaches you to know what's going on in your mind and how to get your feelings under control. It'll help you adapt and feel better about your place in the world. Psychologist Gwendoline Smith uses her broad scientific knowledge and experience to exp lain in clear and simple language what's happening when you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious and confused. ...Show more

Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy and a Collision of Lives by Adam Makos

$45.00 NZD

Category: Non-Fiction General

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Higher Call comes the riveting World War II story of an American tank gunner's journey into the heart of the Third Reich, where he will meet destiny in an iconic armor duel--and forge an enduring bond with his enemy. When Clarence Smoyer is assigned to th e gunner's seat of his Sherman tank, his crewmates discover that the gentle giant from Pennsylvania has a hidden talent: He's a natural-born shooter. At first, Clarence and his fellow crews in the legendary 3rd Armored Division--"Spearhead"--thought their tanks were invincible. Then they met the German Panther, with a gun so murderous it could shoot through one Sherman and into the next. Soon a pattern emerged: The lead tank always gets hit. After Clarence sees his friends cut down breaching the West Wall and holding the line in the Battle of the Bulge, he and his crew are given a weapon with the power to avenge their fallen brothers: the Pershing, a state-of-the-art "super tank," one of twenty in the European theater. But with it comes a harrowing new responsibility: Now they will spearhead every attack. That's how Clarence, the corporal from coal country, finds himself leading the U.S. Army into its largest urban battle of the European war, the fight for Cologne, the "Fortress City" of Germany. Battling through the ruins, Clarence will engage the fearsome Panther in a duel immortalized by an army cameraman. And he will square off with Gustav Schaefer, a teenager behind the trigger in a Panzer IV tank, whose crew has been sent on a suicide mission to stop the Americans. As Clarence and Gustav trade fire down a long boulevard, they are taken by surprise by a tragic mistake of war. What happens next will haunt Clarence to the modern day, drawing him back to Cologne to do the unthinkable: to face his enemy, one last time. Advance praise for Spearhead "The tension, death, and courage that were everyday experiences for American tankers fill the pages of Makos's book. This moving story of bravery and comradeship is an important contribution to WWII history that will inform and fascinate both the general reader and the military historian."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "[Spearhead is] a compelling, exciting adventure . . . An in-the-moment re-creation of the Allied breakthrough of the West Wall into Nazi Germany by a remarkable cadre of tank crewmen of the 3rd Armored Division."--Kirkus Reviews ...Show more

In the Jaws of the Dragon by Ron Asher

$35.00 NZD

Category: Non-Fiction General

The Mueller Report by The Washington Post

$29.00 NZD

Category: Non-Fiction General

The only book with exclusive analysis by the Pulitzer Prize-winning staff of The Washington Post, and the most complete and authoritative available. Read the findings of the Special Counsel's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, complete with accompanying analysis by the&nb sp;Post reporters who've covered the story from the beginning. This edition from The Washington Post contains: * The long-awaited report * An introduction by The Washington Post titled 'A President, a Prosecutor, and the Protection of American Democracy' * A timeline of the major events of the Special Counsel's investigation from May 2017, when Robert Mueller was appointed, to the present day * A guide to individuals involved, including in the Special Counsel's Office, the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Trump Campaign, the White House, the Trump legal defence team and the Russians * Key documents in the Special Counsel's investigation, including filings pertaining to General Michael T. Flynn, Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Roger Stone and the Russian internet operation in St Petersburg. Each document is introduced and explained by Washington Post reporters. One of the most urgent and important investigations ever conducted, the Mueller inquiry focuses on Donald Trump, his presidential campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election, and draws on the testimony of dozens of witnesses and the work of some of the country's most seasoned prosecutors. The special counsel's investigation looms as a turning point in American history. The Mueller Report is essential reading for all those concerned about the fate of the presidency and the future of democracy. ...Show more

World of Flowers - A Colouring Book and Floral Adventure by Johanna Basford

$28.00 NZD

Category: Non-Fiction General

An abundance of fascinating florals awaits in the gorgeous new colouring book from Johanna Basford. Join 'colourist queen' Johanna Basford on a floral adventure around the world and beyond, into the realms of fantasy and imagination. This sensational new colouring book is filled with countless new bloo ms and blossoms, from floating gardens of water poppies in South Africa to delicate cosmos in Japan, ready for you to discover and bring to life in colour. Get ready to show your colours! Johanna has picked a crisp ivory paper that accentuates and compliments your chosen colour palette. The smooth, untextured pages allows for beautiful blending or gradient techniques with coloured pencils, or are perfect for pens, allowing the nib to glide evenly over the surface without feathering. ...Show more

The Billion Dollar Bonfire: How Allan Hubbard and the Government Destroyed South Canterbury Finance by Chris Lee

$40.00 NZD

Category: Non-Fiction General

The collapse of South Canterbury Finance (SCF) is one of the biggest New Zealand stories of the last decade. The sweep of events, from Timaru to the Beehive, include some of the most revealing moments on issues critical to this country - everything from poor governance and systemic issues in the finance sector, through to the structural risks this exposed and the costs it ultimately presented to all New Zealanders. There has not yet been a book that has attempted to tell this story, certainly not one from an `insider' perspective. The Billion Dollar Bonfire by Chris Lee will be the first book to do both these things. Chris tells this fascinating story as both a long-standing New Zealand financial advisor and a protagonist in the narrative. As he writes in the opening chapter, he knew Alan Hubbard personally and, from the late 1990s, had clients invest with SCF. His main motivation for writing the book, made explicit throughout, is his overriding concern that this could all happen again without significant changes to our law and the culture of the capital markets industry. The book is underpinned by substantial research: thousands of documents - including new material from OIAs and other sources - and interviews, both public and anonymous, with many of the key figures. ...Show more

The Note Through the Wire by Doug Gold

$37.00 NZD

Category: Non-Fiction General

An extraordinary true story of a love that emerged, against all odds, from the brutal war in Nazi-occupied Europe.

Tales from the Ruakituri Valley by Dave Withers

$45.00 NZD

Category: Non-Fiction General

The Ruakituri valley is South East of Gisborne, and runs up to the Urewera National Park. The Ruakituri river emerges from the native bush of the park and tumbles through gulleys until it drops three levels over the spectacular 100 metre escarpment, and so down through the beautiful farming area that f orms the Ruakituri Valley of this book. Tales from the Ruakituri Valley is a collection of stories telling of life in the valley and the characters and events that are part of Ruakituri, and indeed typical of most remote farming communities in New Zealand. ...Show more

Wordy by Simon Schama

$40.00 NZD

Category: Non-Fiction General

'Wordy is about the intoxication of writing; my sense of playful versatility; different voices for different matters: the polemical voice for political columns; the sharp-eyed descriptive take for profiles; poetic precision in grappling with the hard task of translating art into words; lyrical recall fo r memory pieces. And informing everything a rich sense of the human comedy and the ways it plays through historical time. It's also a reflection on writers who have been shamelessly gloried in verbal abundance; the performing tumble of language - those who have especially inspired me - Dickens and Melville; Joyce and Marquez.' Sir Simon Schama has been at the forefront of the arts, political commentary, social analysis and historical study for over forty years. As a teacher of Art History and an award-winning television presenter of iconic history-based programming, Simon is equally a prolific bestselling writer and award-winning columnist for many of the world's foremost publishers, broadsheet newspapers, periodicals and magazines. His commissioned subjects over the years have been numerous and wide ranging - from the music of Tom Waits, to the works of Sir Quentin Blake; the history of the colour blue, to discussing what skills an actor needs to create a unique performance of Falstaff. Schama's tastes are wide-ranging as they are eloquent, incisive, witty and thought provoking and have entertained and educated the readers of some of the world's most respected publications - the Times, the Guardian, the New Yorker, Harper's Bazaar and Rolling Stone magazine.   Wordy is a celebration of one of the world's foremost writers. This collection of fifty essays chosen by the man himself stretches across four decades and is a treasure trove for all those who have a passion for the arts, politics, food and life.   ...Show more

The New Silk Roads: the Present & Future of the World by Peter Frankopan

$30.00 NZD

Category: Non-Fiction General

'All roads used to lead to Rome. Today, they lead to Beijing.' When The Silk Roads was published in 2015, it became an instant classic. A major reassessment of world history, it compelled us to look at the past from a different perspective. The New Silk Roads brings this story up to date, addressing the present and future of a world that is changing dramatically. Following the Silk Roads eastwards, from Europe through to China, by way of Russia and the Middle East, The New Silk Roads provides a timely reminder that we live in a world that is profoundly interconnected. In an age of Brexit and Trump, the themes of isolation and fragmentation permeating the Western world stand in sharp contrast to events along the Silk Roads since 2015, where ties have been strengthened and mutual cooperation established. With brilliant insight, Peter Frankopan takes a fresh look at the network of relationships being formed along the length and breadth of the Silk Roads today, assessing the global reverberations of these continual shifts in the centre of power all too often absent from headlines in the West. This important and ultimately hopeful book asks us to re-read who we are and where we are in the world, illuminating the themes on which all our lives and livelihood depend. ...Show more

This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay

$23.00 NZD

Category: Non-Fiction General

'Painfully funny. The pain and the funniness somehow add up to something entirely good, entirely noble and entirely loveable.' - Stephen Fry Sunday Times Humour Book of the Year Winner of the Books Are My Bag Non-Fiction Book of the Year Winner of Blackwell's Debut Book of the Year Winner of iBooks' Bo ok of the Year Welcome to the life of a junior doctor: 97-hour weeks, life and death decisions, a constant tsunami of bodily fluids, and the hospital parking meter earns more than you. Scribbled in secret after endless days, sleepless nights and missed weekends, Adam Kay's This is Going to Hurt provides a no-holds-barred account of his time on the NHS front line. Hilarious, horrifying and heartbreaking, this diary is everything you wanted to know - and more than a few things you didn't - about life on and off the hospital ward. This audiobook contains an exclusive interview with Adam Kay by comedian and author Mark Watson, an afterword and updated bonus diary entries. ...Show more