Apparently from Virginia, Birt Acres appeared out of nowhere in Britain aged 35, without a trace of his former life. Yet immediately he became a prominent figure in the late Victorian photographic world. He soon teamed up with Robert Paul to make a moving picture camera and then shot the first commercial films in Britain in spring 1895, in parallel with the work of the Lumière brothers in France, before repeating this in Germany. His innovations included being the first to establish a dedi...

Full-cast dramatisations of three of Jack Higgins’ best-known novelsJack Higgins (the pen name of Henry Patterson) was the internationally bestselling author of 85 novels. He shot to fame with The Eagle Has Landed, which sold 50 million copies worldwide and became a hit film. Adapted for radio, it is included here, together with its gripping sequel The Eagle Has Flown and the sensational Falklands War thriller Exocet.T...

Full-cast dramatisations of three acclaimed novels by Elizabeth Taylor – including Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont – plus 17 readings of her short fictionDescribed by Antonia Fraser as ‘one of the most underrated novelists of the 20th century’, Elizabeth Taylor was much admired for her witty, acutely observed stories of middle-class life. She never achieved widespread recognition during her lifetime – perhaps due to the fame of her Hollywood namesake – but si...

If you are a leader—in any sense of the word—or aspire to be an effective one, the world desperately needs you. Perhaps you are an elected or appointed official. Or you run a library. Or you coach a Little League team. While leaders do many things, a major cornerstone of effective leadership is conflict management.Filled with many engaging stories and examples, Calming the Storm: A Leader’s Handbook for Managing Unproductive Conflicts presents seventy-five short and quick ...

All four series of the Eastern bloc embassy sitcom starring Dinsdale LandenSet in a British embassy somewhere in Russia, as the Cold War draws to a close, this entertaining sitcom follows Her Majesty's Ambassador Mr Mackenzie as he navigates the idiosyncrasies of life behind the Iron Curtain. Together with his First Secretary, William Frost, and personal assistant Helen Waterson, he manages matters ranging from dissidents to diplomatic dinners, all while maintainin...

New Zealand grazing consultant Peter Bacchus shares a lifetime of experience on applying biodynamics to pastures. His multi-pronged approach to managing pastures considers balance of fertility elements, organic matter levels, soil life, and particularly soil life forces. Using biodynamic preparations and other tools, he produces pastures of optimum quality that are ideal for sustaining healthful and organic grazing animals. He also demonstrates how biodynamic methods can be applied to prot...

Food security and housing a nation with an expanding population should be key priorities for a small island like Britain. Yet both are being thwarted by record land prices. In the last 10 years, farm land has risen by almost 200% - with feeding the nation a secondary consideration to speculators buying up thousands of acres annually to avoid tax. If planning permission is given for new housing, prices can rise fifty-fold - making a vast profit for a few and home ownership a distant dream f...

Searching for better land, the Elam Brown Party headed originally for Oregon Country during the Mexican War, but diverted to the Mexican province of Alta California. At Johnson’s Ranch, Bill Johnson told them his 20,000 acres had been purchased for a hundred and fifty dollars!The Party pressed on to Sutter’s Fort. They found John Sutter, who said his 49,000 acre ranch hadn’t cost anything at all because it had been granted by the Governor himself!At Sutter’s, they met Josep...

Life isn't fair. Struggles surround us at every turn. Whether it is a failure to meet your own expectations to dealing with a terminal disease, the struggle is real. The realities for each situation are different, but they are all part of living in a fallen world. Living Through the Struggle makes it clear that pressing on, even though it is hard, is worth it.Many theologians publish works on various books of the Bible that are frankly too heady and deep for most readers. ...

In 1213, Pope Innocent III issued his letter Vineam Domini, thundering against the enemies of Christendom—the "beasts of many kinds that are attempting to destroy the vineyard of the Lord of Sabaoth"—and announcing a General Council of the Latin Church as redress. The Fourth Lateran Council, which convened in 1215, was unprecedented in its scope and impact, and it called for the Fifth Crusade as what its participants hoped would be the final defense of Christendom. For the first t...

In 1213, Pope Innocent III issued his letter Vineam Domini, thundering against the enemies of Christendom—the "beasts of many kinds that are attempting to destroy the vineyard of the Lord of Sabaoth"—and announcing a General Council of the Latin Church as redress. The Fourth Lateran Council, which convened in 1215, was unprecedented in its scope and impact, and it called for the Fifth Crusade as what its participants hoped would be the final defense of Christendom. For the first t...

Eight dark comic dramas narrated by Alexei Sayle and adapted from his original short storiesDramatised from Alexei Sayle's hilarious, highly-acclaimed fiction, these satirical, surreal and surprising tales feature some of the UK's foremost comic actors, and are introduced by the award-winning comedian himself.The Only Man Stalin Was Afraid Of- Summoned to treat his old friend, Stalin's psychiatrist is faced with an ethical dilemma....