Norman Douglas Bücher

This collection has the dubious distinction of being one of the most pirated books of all time. Since its first appearance in 1928, illegal editions have appeared with remarkable regularity. The reason? Once considered obscene - it reprints a large number of the most 'savoury' limericks known - it is also very, very funny due in great part to the author's dead-pan commentaries and 'geographical index'. Douglas' erudition effortlessly traverses topics as diverse as the mudflats of Leigh-on-Sea, the dahlias of Central America and the habitat of the Silesian tapeworm.

Norman Douglas, one of the 20th century's great travellers in Italy, was for most of his life inextricably, passionately, connected to the Bay of Naples. This breathtaking sweep of sea and coastline - dominated by Vesuvius and with Pozzuoli and Sorrento standing sentinel - was Douglas' first experience of Italy. It was here, on the island of Capri, that he died, some 55 years after first buying a villa in Naples. "Siren Land", Douglas' first travel book, is a homage to a part of the world that captivated him more than any other. Weaving the myths of the Sirens into the landscape and history of the region, Douglas writes with knowledge and an irrepressible exuberance of the past and the present, of legends and archaeology, folklore and daily life, patron saints, local ghosts, wine and the wind. As the summer draws to a close, Douglas' prose becomes suffused with a melancholy tinged with excitement at what still remains to be discovered: 'relics of Roman rule, of old Hellas, or medieval romance...These are the delights of Siren Land'. 'What makes "Siren Land" exceptional is the quality of the telling. Weaving scholarship, impressions, fact and fantasy into an intricate fabric as enchantingly entertaining and full of human interest as the best of fairy tales or ancient myths. One of the most memorable books of its genre' - Mark Holloway, in his introduction to "Siren Land".

Managers who are looking to gain a better understanding of today’s industrial environment will appreciate this text . It offers a comprehensive examination of the field. Empirical applications are integrated throughout the chapters to provide relevant examples. Discussions are included on price discrimination as it relates to monopolies and product varieties. Basic models of imperfect competition are presented. Entry deterrents and price fixing are also examined in more detail. Managers will then learn how to apply this information as they build a successful organisation.

Calabria. A dramatic peninsula of rugged mountains and windswept coastlines facing Sicily - 'the most beautiful kilometer in Italy' - wrote Gabriele d'Annunzio of its coastline. This book presents an account of the author's adventures which are woven with history.

"Full of zest and high spirits." — The Christian Science Monitor This witty, elegant novel of ideas unfolds on the imaginary Mediterranean island of Nepenthe, where Thomas Heard, Bishop of Bampopo in the equatorial regions of Africa, stops off on his way back to England. His arrival and introduction to the local society sets the stage for an urbane and polished tale. South Wind brilliantly evokes the dreamy, languorous quality of life on Nepenthe, a town of whitewashed houses perched on sheer rock cliffs above a gleaming sea. While peasants clamber up roads of black volcanic lava to work in the vineyards, aristocrats while away the torpid midday hours on sun-dappled terraces, discoursing of life and love. The memorable cast of characters includes a host of expatriates, freethinkers, eccentrics, politicians, zealots, and all manner of ne'er-do-wells who mingle in the picturesque settlement's taverns, villas, and streets. By the time Bishop Heard is ready to leave Nepenthe, there has been a murder, a fearsome volcanic eruption, an art forgery, and other nefarious doings — all recounted in eloquent descriptions, replete with provocative ideas, glittering epigrams, and mordant satire.

When a prominent surgeon is kidnapped, suspicion falls on the surgeons wife and her lover. But before the New York City police department can launch an investigation, special agent of the FBI, Kate Sutherland steps in, asserting federal jurisdiction, and removes the investigation to Federal Plaza. Kate soon learns that the ramifications of the kidnapping will be played out on an international stage. Kate meets Max Mann who introduces himself as a professor at the Kennedy School. This encounter leads to a passionate affair during which Kate begins to suspect Maxs other identity. Fault lines appear as turf disputes between the CIA and the FBI boil over with serious consequences for Kate. To further complicate matters, Israels Mossad deals itself into the game as a major player. The machinations of these contesting forces produce a startling outcome.