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Oxford University Press
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Shelley's suspenseful and intellectually rich gothic tale confronts some of the most important and enduring themes in all of literture — the power of human imagination, the potential hubris of science, the gulf between appearance and essence, the effects of human cruelty, the desire for revenge and the need for forgiveness, and much more. |
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Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic shocker introduced Count Dracula to the world. He plans to wreak havoc on London, and only a small band of men and women, led by Professor Van Helsing, can defeat him. Dracula is the most famous of vampire stories, and remains a rattling good read. This edition includes the companion piece, 'Dracula's Guest'. |
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Read with Biff, Chip and Kipper Rhyming Flashcards are an enjoyable way to develop early phonic skills by recognising rhymes and letter patterns in words. All of the games and activities suggested in this flashcard set can be played with an adult or older child together with one or two younger children. Playing the Rhyming Games will help children to: — recognise rhyming words — make their own rhymes — link groups of letters with their sounds — develop memory and concentration skills — develop early reading and spelling skills The cards contain: * pairs of rhyming cards with a simple word and picture on each * advice cards with practical tips for parents on how to use the Phonic Flashcards and games to support learning Games have been written by a practising teacher and support practice in schools. |
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Young children learn best when they are having fun and phonics playing cards can be an enjoyable way to learn letter sounds, letter patterns and key reading skills. Games have been written by reading experts and support learning in schools. |
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Once upon a time and a very good time it was there was a moocow coming down along the road and this moocow that was coming down along the road met a nicens little boy named baby tuckoo. So begins one of the most significant literary works of the twentieth century, and one of the most innovative. Its originality shocked contemporary readers on its publication in 1916 who found its treating of the minutiae of daily life indecorous, and its central character unappealing. Was it art or was it filth? The novel charts the intellectual, moral, and sexual development of Stephen Dedalus, from his childhood listening to his father's stories through his schooldays and adolescence to the brink of adulthood and independence, and his awakening as an artist. Growing up in a Catholic family in Dublin in the final years of the nineteenth century, Stephen's consciousness is forged by Irish history and politics, by Catholicism and culture, language and art. Stephen's story mirrors that of Joyce himself, and the novel is both startlingly realistic and brilliantly crafted. For this edition Jeri Johnson, editor of the acclaimed Ulysses 1922 text, has written an introduction and notes which together provide a comprehensive and illuminating appreciation of Joyce's artistry. |
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It is sometimes said that the Bible is one of the most unread books in the world, yet has been a major force in the development of Western culture and continues to exert an enormous influence over many people's lives. This Very Short Introduction looks at the importance accorded to the Bible by different communities and cultures and attempts to explain why it has generated such a rich variety of uses and interpretations. It explores how the Bible was written, the development of the canon, the role of Biblical criticism, the appropriation of the Bible in high and popular culture, and its use for political ends. |
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In this vigorous and fast-moving novel of post-Napoleonic France, Julien Sorel's plans to reach the higher echelons of society through the priesthood are defelected by his realization that the attainment of happiness is of greater consequence than the pursuit of ambition. Subtitled 'A Chronicle of 1830', Stendhal's depiction of a nation of smug hypocrites scandalized contemporary readers, who recognized themselves or their peers and felt uncomfortable with the energy, imagination, and sincerity of a hero so patently inspired by their lately deposed Emperor. Julien's restless energy is fully captured in this specially commissioned translation of one of the world's great novels. |
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The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes are overshadowed by the event with which they close — the meeting of the great detective and Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime. Their struggle, seemingly to the death, was to leave many readers desolate at the loss of Holmes, but was also to lead to his immortality as a literary figure. However illogical as a detective story, 'The final Problem' has proved itself an unforgettable tale. The stories that precede it included two narratives from Holmes himself, on a mutiny at sea and a treasure hunt in a Sussex country house, as well as a meeting with his brilliant brother Mycroft, of whom Holmes says, 'If the art of the detective began and ended in reasoning from any armchair, my brother would be the greatest criminal agent that ever lived.' |
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'In the year of grace 1066, the Lord, the ruler, brought to fulfilment what He had long planned for the English people: He delivered them up to be destroyed by the violent and cunning Norman race.' Henry of Huntingdon's narrative covers one of the most exciting and bloody periods in English history: the Norman Conquest and its aftermath. He tells of the decline of the Old English kingdom, the victory of the Normans at the Battle of Hastings, and the establishment of Norman rule. His accounts pf the kings who reigned during his lifetime — William II, Henry I, and Stephen — contain unique descriptions of people and events. Henry tells how promiscuity, greed, treachery, and cruelty produced a series of disasters, rebellions, and wars. Interwoven with memorable and vivid battle-scenes are anecdotes of court life, the death and murder of nobles, and the first written record of Cnut and the waves and the death of Henry I from a surfeit of lampreys. Diana Greenway's translation of her definitive Latin text has been revised for this edition. |
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'Yet each man kills the thing he loves, By each let this be heard, Some do it with a bitter look, Some with a flattering word, The coward does it with a kiss, The brave man with a sword!' A powerful poem of universal guilt and a protest against capital punishment, The Ballad of Reading Gaol is Wilde's best-known poem, yet it is quite unlike the rest of his poetry. At Oxford Wilde discarded the passion and politics of his mother's Irish nationalistic anti-famine poetry and opted to follow an English Romantic tradition, paying tribute to Keats, Swinburne, and the Pre-Raphaelites. Admiration of French masters gradually led to his writing Impressionist, even decadent poems and his collection Poems (1881) brought accusations of obscenity and plagiarism as well as scathing reviews. Unabashed, Wilde revised and reprinted his final 'Author's Edition' in 1892, by which time he was the successful author of fiction, criticism, and Lady Windermere's Fan. This volume follows as closely as possible the chronological order of composition, highlighting autobiographical elements including the young Wilde's conflicting attitudes to Greece and Rome, pagan and Christian, and his fluctuating attraction to Roman Catholicism. The Appendix shows Wilde's original ordering, constructed with great care around a 'musical' arrangement of themes. The poems reveal unexpected aspects of a literary chameleon usually identified with sparkling wit and social comedy. |
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Since Devolution in 1999 Scotland has become a focus of intense interest both within Britain and throughout the wider world. In this Very Short Introduction, Rab Houston explores how an independent Scottish nation emerged in the Middle Ages, how it was irrevocably altered by Reformation, links with England and economic change, and how Scotland influenced the development of the modern world. Examining politics, law, society, religion, education, migration, and culture, he examines how the nation's history has made it distinct from England, both before and after Union, how it overcame internal tensions between Highland and Lowland society, and how it has today arrived at a political, social and culture watershed. Authoritative, lucid, and ranging widely over issues of environment, people, and identity, this is Scotland's story without myths: an ideal introduction for those interested in the Scots, but also a balanced yet refreshing challenge to those who already feel at home in Scotland past and present. |
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The Norman Conquest in 1066 was the last time England was successfully invaded, and was one of the most profound turning points in English history, cataclysmically transforming a disparate collection of small nations into a European state. But what actually happened? How was the invasion viewed by those who witnessed it? And how has its legacy been seen by generations since? This fascinating Very Short Introduction reveals how dramatically English life was changed, from its language to its law, and focuses on the differing ways the conquest has been viewed by historians and in folklore ever since. |
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We live an information-soaked existence — information pours into our lives through television, radio, books, and of course, the Internet. Some say we suffer from 'infoglut'. But what is information? The concept of 'information' is a profound one, rooted in mathematics, central to whole branches of science, yet with implications on every aspect of our everyday lives: DNA provides the information to create us; we learn through the information fed to us; we relate to each other through information transfer — gossip, lectures, reading. Information is not only a mathematically powerful concept, but its critical role in society raises wider ethical issues: who owns information? Who controls its dissemination? Who has access to information? Luciano Floridi, a philosopher of information, cuts across many subjects, from a brief look at the mathematical roots of information — its definition and measurement in 'bits' — to its role in genetics (we are information), and its social meaning and value. He ends by considering the ethics of information, including issues of ownership, privacy, and accessibility; copyright and open source. For those unfamiliar with its precise meaning and wide applicability as a philosophical concept, 'information' may seem a bland or mundane topic. Those who have studied some science or philosophy or sociology will already be aware of its centrality and richness. But for all readers, whether from the humanities or sciences, Floridi gives a fascinating and inspirational introduction to this most fundamental of ideas. |
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By the time the First World War ended in 1918, eight million people had died in what had been perhaps the most apocalyptic episode the world had known. This Very Short Introduction provides a concise and insightful history of the 'Great War', focusing on why it happened, how it was fought, and why it had the consequences it did. It examines the state of Europe in 1914 and the outbreak of war; the onset of attrition and crisis; the role of the US; the collapse of Russia; and the weakening and eventual surrender of the Central Powers. Looking at the historical controversies surrounding the causes and conduct of war, Michael Howard also describes how peace was ultimately made, and the potent legacy of resentment left to Germany. |
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From the mathematics of mazes, to cones with a twist, and the amazing sphericon — and how to make one — Ian Stewart is back with more mathematical stories and puzzles that are as quirky as they are fascinating, and each from the cutting edge of the world of mathematics. We find out about the mathematics of time travel, explore the shape of teardrops (which are not tear-drop shaped, but something much, much more strange!), dance with dodecahedra, and play the game of Hex, amongst many more strange and delightful mathematical diversions. |
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Completely updated to include all the latest vocabulary, this fourth edition of the Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary contains coverage of over 175,000 words and phrases, and 240,000 translations. It includes a comphrensive correspondence guide with sample letters, emails, and CVs, plus fun and informative cultural notes on life and living in the Spanish-speaking world. This new edition also features new sections on Spanish as used around the world, false friends and Spanglish, as well as an entirely new internet section helping with everyday online activities from booking tickets to banking online. The Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary is easy to use, with a clear layout featuring a two-colour text design and printed thumb tabs for quick reference. |
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It was a warm summer's evening down on the farm. In the farmhouse, Mum said, 'Time for bed.' 'But we're not sleepy!' said her three little kittens. Of course, Mum knows the answer is to count sheep. Off the kittens go, across the farm to search for some sheep to count. They find one shaggy sheepdog, two munching cows, three playful foxes, four bouncy rabbits, and a whole host of colourful characters. But there's not a sheep in sight! Wherever can they all be hiding? |
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Beautifully told retellings of classic stories from India. Full of richness and warmth, these tales of tender love, great heroism, acts of sacrifice, foolishness and friendship come vividly to life. There is an epic battle in which monkeys and bears help rescue the beautiful princess Sita from evil demons and a simple fable about a jackal who tries to become king. This tapestry of stories is as colourful and diverse as India itself. Sources in selecting the stories have been Sanskrit and Pali, the classical languages of the Brahmans and the Buddhists. Many of these tales were current centuries before the Christian era and were given a sophisticated form by the storytellers of classical times. The subject of myths and legends ties in with the National Curriculum. Classic retellings have continued to sell for over thirty years. Before his death the author lived in Maidstone in Kent. |
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«Winnie the Witch is tired of winter. She's tired of shivering in the cold and looking out at her garden covered in snow. And Wilbur is tired of frozen fur and whiskers. So Winnie uses a little magic to bring summer and sunshine to her house. But just as she settles down in her deckchair... hordes of people arrive. They are fed up with winter, too. But with the unruly crowd comes noise, and mess, and chaos! Winnie grows increasingly indignant. Why should all these people spoil her summer? Winter may be cold, but at least it's peaceful. So Winnie summons back the snow to make her unwelcome visitors disappear. This is a great story that really conjures the contrast of frozen winter and scorching summer and the sounds of crunching through snow, Christmassy themes, summery birdsong. and sun-seeking revellers are just some of the wonderful additions to the narration of «Winnie in Winter» on the accompanying audio CD.» |
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