The Jazz Boat

The directors of Great Trips Ltd have a serious problem: they are on the brink of bankruptcy. In a desperate bid to save the company, they partner with a foreign business to launch a river cruise on the Seine, offering entertainment tailored to the British tourist market.

What the directors don’t realize is that their new partnership is secretly involved in people smuggling. When their youngest colleague uncovers the truth, she faces a difficult choice: should she report the operation to the Border Force, or put herself at risk to stop it from within?

Among the passengers on the cruise is someone working undercover to gather evidence of the smuggling operation. Tensions rise, and the truth comes dangerously close to the surface at the Captain’s dinner party.

From Blinker Hall to Room 39: British Naval Intelligence 1880-1945

Dr. Wells offers an exhilarating deep dive into the world of British Naval Intelligence, exploring its intricacies with a level of detail and professionalism never before seen. As the only living person to have served in both British and United States Intelligence, and having been trained by the leading figures of British Naval Intelligence during World War Two, Anthony Wells brings unmatched expertise to this compelling history. Spanning over 65 years, this book draws readers into a captivating exploration of the political, institutional, organizational, personal, operational, strategic, and technical aspects of British Naval Intelligence across both World Wars. Wells invites us into the inner sanctum of British Naval Intelligence, revealing how history was shaped by the extraordinary expertise, courage, resilience, and intellectual brilliance of those who came from all corners of British society. This book not only enthrals and captivates but also educates, shedding light on the essence of outstanding intelligence work, much of which continues to influence the present day.

The Food Lady

Miss Deer is very hungry, but the local squirrels and birds do not want her to eat with them. She is sad and lonely, she doesn’t understand their rejection. She does not see why she cannot have some bird seed, which is rich and plentiful at this lady’s house. The many birds, squirrels and chipmunks tell her she is too big and scary. She becomes very frustrated and decides to eat the lady’s prize roses. She feels, too, a comradeship to the man who lives here, for he is also rejected by the animals. A hungry but friendly raccoon, out in the daytime, stops her and tells her that deer are not mean.

The S. C. R. A. P. Book

In The S.C.R.A.P. Book, Malcolm Leach embarks on a whimsical and thought-provoking exploration of the history of rowing and its impact on the world. With a keen eye for detail and an insatiable curiosity, Leach delves into the origins of this ancient sport, tracing its development from the earliest days of human civilization to the present. Along the way, he uncovers fascinating stories and anecdotes that illuminate the crucial role that rowing has played in shaping the course of history.

Leach’s engaging and often humorous writing style brings to life the colourful characters and pivotal events that have defined the sport of rowing. From the early Egyptians and Greeks to the Vikings and Normans, he shows how the humble oar has been a driving force behind some of the most significant moments in human history. With a wealth of illustrations and a keen sense of the absurd, Leach takes readers on a rollicking journey through time, exploring the impact of rowing on cultures around the world and the enduring legacy of this timeless sport.

Whether you’re a seasoned rower or simply a curious reader, The S.C.R.A.P. Book is sure to entertain and enlighten. Leach’s infectious enthusiasm for his subject and his unique perspective on history make this a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered about the story behind one of humanity’s most enduring pastimes.

Just See Me

Wouldn’t it be great if people could just see you for who you are?
Not just see your differences, or equipment but see you, and your strengths?
Seeing beyond someone’s disability means, we can see the real person.
Just See Me is about a little girl who wants just that…
Come and read along to learn how we can all just see her!

This book is about seeing beyond a child’s differences and disabilities and seeing their strengths, interests, and potential.

MA Interior

The Japanese concept of MA becomes prevalent in Hana’s life when she has important exams such as GCSEs to focus on. However, in the back of her mind there are other pressing issues too which keep on resurfacing and creating unnecessary clutter for her.

Back in her bedroom, her solitary space, she allows for undisputed areas concerning the absence of her father to just be. And in having done so finds that she’s able to free up her mind thus allowing for a more positive space. Hana now has the ability to move forward and to rise.

A Fatter Rat

Follow Tabs the Cat through the days of the week as she catches a fatter rat every day! Watch as Mum, Dad, Jake, and Tilly scream and jump higher with each new catch! From a tiny wood mouse to a mini mole, a squeaking shrew, and finally a big fat rat, Tabs is on a mission. But that’s not enough for her: soon she catches a huge, hairy hamster, then a big old beaver, and on Sunday, she takes things to the next level by catching a colossal capybara at the zoo!

Maybe Tabs will discover that some rats can be too fat – and that sometimes, it’s better to catch none at all!

Background Shot

The story begins in the early 1980s, at the Queen’s Club in London, where Mario, a young architect, meets Andrea, a journalist who is over from New York to report on Wimbledon.

The young couple go out to dinner and arrange to meet again in New York, where Mario has a scheduled business trip to view the real tennis courts of the New York Racket Club, as he is designing the Tennis and Rackets Museum in London.

Mario’s hobbies are photography and camera collecting, and he frequently visits camera fairs and camera auctions, purchasing classic cameras. On one occasion, he discovers undeveloped film in a Nikon camera, which he develops himself and is shocked to find out that the photos were taken in the early 1960s, depicting the shooting of a major international crime!

Shocked and realizing the seriousness of this, he doesn’t know where to turn and decides, as he has a trip planned to New York soon, to take them there and discuss the matter with Andrea, whom he feels he can trust.

In New York, Andrea becomes equally shocked when the matter is revealed and suggests that it will have to be handled with caution with people they can trust implicitly.

Further complications occur as they realize they are being followed and refrain from discussing the matter in public places, but only at her flat where, inevitably, tenderness ensues.

The story develops further by visiting the assassin’s widow’s house, which is in Dallas, Texas.

Kidz Play Better Under the Gun

What would you do if, instead of securing the profitable deal that promises financial security and peace for your family, you find yourself hunted by a relentless, unseen force? A force that knows everything about you, outnumbers you, and shows no mercy.

Would you try to negotiate with it?

As the clock ticks, you realize the threat extends beyond you to your beloved wife, your child, and the unborn baby you’ve been longing to meet. And this enemy? It doesn’t take prisoners.

With no safe haven, nowhere to hide, and no one to trust, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Losing isn’t an option, but the line between victory and defeat is razor-thin. One misstep could cost you everything.

Public Participation Involvement and Engagement in Cancer Research

Patients and the public have a history of participation and advocacy in cancer research, generally for the benefit of future cancer patients rather than themselves. Participation is necessary if drugs and treatments are to be properly tested. Advocacy adds a unique perspective that enables the integration of two valuable and powerful viewpoints, the experiential disease and treatment knowledge, needs and priorities of the patient, and the professional disease and treatment knowledge and priorities of the researcher or clinician. This synergistic combination is a key enabler for focused and relevant diagnostic and treatment advances in cancer research. However, recruitment of the right numbers and profile of patients and the public into participation and advocacy remains a challenge. This book seeks to take the mystery out of participation and advocacy in cancer research trials by explaining the whole process, in lay terms, in the hope that more people will be encouraged to participate and become advocates.

Cascade Smith: The Hydra Sanction

THE HYDRA

A giant sea serpent of Greek mythology with nine heads, one of them immortal. The task to slay the Hydra was the second labour of Hercules – no easy task, as for every head cut off, another would grow in its stead.

To kill the Hydra, its immortal head must be cut off then cauterised in flame.

It is the year 2031, and Australia has just turned back a Chinese invasion force in the naval Battle of the Arafura Sea, ensuring stability in the South Pacific for the foreseeable future.

But China is playing the long game, moving its focus to a massive cyber-attack across the West, aimed at world domination through stealth in lieu of military conquest.

To this end, China’s MSS has developed Hydra, the most advanced quantum computer the world has ever seen, and in 2032 they start to use it, successfully attacking the governments of the Philippines and then Japan with devastating effect.

The ‘brain’ of Hydra is sunk 1000 feet deep in the Dragon Hole, a sinkhole in the South China Sea, from where it beams attack codes to eight satellites orbiting the key capital cities of the West.

America’s NSA identifies the location of Hydra, but President Sigourney Owen rules out a tactical nuclear strike, as that would be a prelude to a Third World War.

It is resolved to mount a commando operation, with US Navy SEALs launched by submarine to attack the Dragon Hole with a specially-designed depth charge code-named Hercules.

Four SEALS volunteer for the suicide mission.

One of them is Cascade Smith.

The Thinking Donkey

The Wisdom of Harold

‘It’s true, I carry man’s burdens, but burdens are easy to carry for people when you love them.

And if I, a donkey, can so easily carry the burdens of men out of love… then how much more would God the Lord of everything be able to love men, too.’

What you need to know:

Harold, the thinking donkey, is a thoughtful story about resisting injustices and being kind to others. An important message is how moral attitudes are conveyed with the knowledge and use of a wide vocabulary, and therefore of how vital the importance of reading is becoming in a world of emoji mobile dialogue and poor literacy.

Young minds can be easily influenced, and persuaded about many things, but sometimes they need to resist the persuasion of peers trying to take advantage of any intolerance leading them into quick judgements, for by encouraging their tolerance they cannot be so easily persuaded, and will begin learning to think for themselves.