February 2012 > 2. International Non Fiction

Magic, the miniature pony who helped a woman speak again after three years of silence; Stubby, the stray dog who braved the front line with soldiers in World War One; Moko, the bottlenose dolphin who guided a mother whale and her calf back out to sea
Have you ever been astonished by an instance of animal agility, intelligence or bravery?
No matter how cute and cuddly our animal companions are, there are always occasions when they remind us that they're still in touch with their natural instincts. Sometimes this comes th... read more

Aged eighteen with a taste for adventure, Francis Chichester emigrated to New Zealand with ten pounds in his pocket. He tried his hand as a boxer, shepherd, lumberjack and gold prospector, before returning to England. Having qualified as a pilot, in 1929 he embarked on his most famous solo flight in the de Havilland Gipsy Moth from England to Australia. Shortly afterward, he would survive a near-death catastrophe in an attempt to fly solo around the world. Turning to sailing, he won the first single-handed transatlantic yacht race ... read more

The Art of Steampunk seeks to celebrate the world of Steampunk: a world filled with beauty and innovation. A world in which steam power and technology intertwine to create machines that are not only functional and practical, but unique and striking. Inside, you will find the fantastical and stunning artwork of Steampunk artists from around the world. The 17 artists featured on these pages, among the frontrunners of the Steampunk genre, have had their work displayed at an exhibition at The Museum of History of Science at the Univers... read more

This witty and charming guide, first published in 1935, is a gently satirical guide to being the right sort of girl. Effortlessly guiding her readers through the troublesome twists and turns of the social whirl, Monica Redlich dispenses advice for every possible encounter - from how to combine kindness with absolute honesty when reassuring friends - 'They always say a big nose is a sign of character' - what to say when caught in an awkward situation - 'I am trying to get some dust out of poor Freddie's eye' - to the perfect reply o... read more

I do not think that young married people quite comprehend how much of their comfort depends upon the domestic arrangements.
In nineteenth-century England, securing an advantageous marriage was an almost universal concern; but what happened after the confetti had settled? First published in 1887, this bestselling domestic handbook describes and advises how to avoid the perils awaiting couples setting up their home, from choosing a house and interior decoration to managing servants. At the time, From Kitchen to Garret encourage... read more

Hoping to attract attention and passengers, in 1923 the newly-established London and North Eastern Railway Company officially named its premier service: the 10am from London King's Cross to Edinburgh: the Flying Scotsman. The following year one of the newest class of express locomotives, named for the service, was proudly displayed at the British Empire Exhibition. Already a household name when this book was published in 1925, the Flying Scotsman has never lost its place in the public imagination. This is the story the LNER wished ... read more

A social, cultural, and above all culinary history of dessert, Sweet Invention explores the world's great dessert traditions, from ancient India to 21st-century Indiana. Each chapter begins with author Michael Krondl tasting and analyzing an icon of dessert, such as baklava from the Middle East or macarons from France, and then combines extensive scholarship with a lively writing style to spin an ancient tale of some of the world's favorite treats and their creators. From the sweet makers of Persia who gave us the first donuts to t... read more

In 1897 Roald Amundsen, the future conqueror of the South Pole, set sail as second officer on board the Belgica, as part of a multi-national crew. This was the first Antarctic expedition of a purely scientific nature and it was this expedition that fired him with his ambition to explore the Polar Regions. The explorers did not reach the pole but they were the first people to spend a winter in the Antarctic pack ice. This is the first publication of Amundsen's diary. The original manuscript, in the University of Oslo, has only been ... read more

Aphrodisiacs take their name from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. They have been used to stimulate desire for millennia, concocted from spices, herbs, fruit and flowers by poets, lovers, Queens and warriors from every corner of the globe.
Authors Julie and Matthew Bruton-Seal, experiences professional herbalists, have brought together their recipes for erotic food, sensual oils and potions, seductive scents and desirous drinks; all beautifully photographed.

Once the pole had been conquered by Amundsen and Scott the next great journey was the crossing of the Antarctic continent, first attempted by Filchner in 1912 and then by Shackleton in 1914. As part of the International Geographical Year the Trans-Antarctic Expedition was set up with Vivian Fuchs in charge. He would start from a base on the Weddell Sea and after reaching the Pole, continue to the Ross Sea using supply depots laid by a New Zealand team working from McMurdo and led by the conqueror of Mount Everest, Sir Edmund Hillar... read more