Everything you need to know about opera in one handy guide. Part of our best-selling Pocket Guide series, The Pocket Guide to Opera contains A-Z synopses of operas and biographies of the characters, lyricists and composers. The book features the history of opera, setting it in the context of its day and discussing the influence of world events and influences such as the Freemasons and the composers patrons. With factboxes highlighting surprising, little known and often quirky operatic fact...

The author of Food Through the Ages presents a festive overview of Dickens-era Christmas traditions—from decorations and songs to games and recipes.Anna Selby discusses how the Victorians invented many of the Christmas traditions we enjoy today from Christmas trees and cards to carols and Father Christmas himself. Dickens and Prince Albert shaped how many people view the British Christmas, an idea explored in the opening chapter.There is an emphasi...

The author of Victorian Christmas "recounts some of the most fascinating—and disgusting—dishes our ancestors used to eat. . . . A must-buy book for foodies" (Fiona Shoop, author of How to Deal in Antiques).With people's fascination for food increasing, there are more cooking shows and magazines than ever. Medieval banquets are sold-out events and classic recipes and ingredients are back in fashion, which is what this book sets out to explore....

The Victorian Dr. Thomas Allinson founded the famous Allinson bread firm in 1892 and wrote five volumes of medical essays outlining his beliefs that food was an important factor in health. His sage advice was an anathema to his Victorian peers and he was struck off in an age where medicines were made of mercury and arsenic. His outrageous beliefs included exercise being good for health, the need for a work-life balance for better efficiency and health, avoiding tea and coffee in the evenin...

Just 15 minutes a day will work wonders to give you the flat stomach you’ve always wanted!Pilates is well known as one of the best forms of exercise for people who want a longer, leaner physique. In Pilates for a Flat Stomach, expert Anna Selby has selected the specific exercises you need to do to achieve the toned stomach you’ve always dreamed of.Just 15 minutes a day of the low-impact, high energy Pilates exercises that work on your abdominal muscles will not only improve...

This pocket-sized guide to identifying and interpreting metal and ceramic marks has been improved with the addition of the most recent hallmarks, along with details of the new hallmarking system.Do you attend car boot sales or browse in antique shops in search of bargains? Have you ever wished you knew more about grandma’s silver spoon? Do you envy the experts’ ability to identify and date old hand-me-downs? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, Collins Gem Antique Marks ...

“This is a fun and painless way to give yourself a firm grounding in the wide wonderful world of antiques and collectibles.”Kyle Husfloen, Managing Editor, Antique Trader Weekly and Antique Trader’s Antiques & Collectibles Price GuideDo you love to poke around estate sales and antique shops, but can’t tell the difference between Queen Anne and Queen Victoria furniture? Do you dream of owning that old Oriental rug or Meissen figurine — but worry that the dea...

Dennis Prince teams up with antique and collectible expert Lynn Dralle to provide all the information necessary to reap the huge benefits of selling antiques and collectibles on eBay. Written by an eBay Power Seller whose earnings topped $20,000 a month, this book helps you:Research types--and eras--of antiques and collectiblesFind the best merchandiseUse language that gets buyers to pay the most for the seller's itemsPrice strategically. . . and...

Do you dream of a flat stomach, a longer, leaner body and superb posture? Do you wish to improve your overall appearance? Pilates will help you achieve all this – and more.20 Minutes to Master Pilates is a clear introduction to the practice and its background, guiding you through key exercises that benefit both body and mind.Pilates is a disciplined, focused form of exercise, designed to strengthen ligaments and joints, increase flexibility and lengthen the muscles. In this...

The Pound a Day Diet is an accelerated program designed to help dieters lose up to five pounds every five days-- without frustrating plateaus-- while enjoying all their favorite foods. It rewrites every carb/fat/calorie rule in the book!This delicious, easy-to-use, plan is specifically formulated as a Mediterranean-style diet that is carb and calorie corrected to turbocharge metabolism and weight loss. Complete with menus for 28 days (four five-day plans and four weekend p...

From bestselling author Kristina McMorris comes an ambitious and heartrending story of immigrants, deception, and second chances.On a cold night in October 1937, searchlights cut through the darkness around Alcatraz. A prison guard’s only daughter—one of the youngest civilians who lives on the island—has gone missing. Tending the warden’s greenhouse, convicted bank robber Tommy Capello waits anxiously. Only he knows the truth about the little girl’s wherea...

NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES—THE MASTERPIECE THAT BECAME A CULTURAL PHENOMENONHere is the first book in the landmark series that has redefined imaginative fiction and become a modern masterpiece.A GAME OF THRONESIn a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the North of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are m...