First published in 1977, Patterns of Education in the British Isles is the first modern discussion of the educational systems of the British Isles and the ways in which they influence each other. It is no arid account of administrative structures but the first major attempt to set the systems in their cultural, political, and historical context, and to relate them to each other.The book discusses the extravagant claims sometimes made for Scottish education, the often-negle...

This is a true account of my childhood and my family seen through my eyes and told as I remember it, in my own words (not always complimentary.) Its about growing up in the North East of Scotland in a small, rural community; how we amused ourselves and used our imaginations to invent play and adventure. It also gives an insight into the hardships we faced and the challenges of keeping up with the progress through which my generation has had the privilege to live.

A household name, an Australian rock icon, the elder statesman of Ozrock - there isn't an accolade or cliche that doesn't apply to Jimmy Barnes. But long before Cold Chisel and Barnesy, long before the tall tales of success and excess, there was the true story of James Dixon Swan - a working class boy whose family made the journey from Scotland to Australia in search of a better life.Working Class Boy is a powerful reflection on a traumatic and violent childhood, which fue...

The fourth installment of Robinson's internationally betselling Inspector Banks seriesIt began with a faceless, maggot-ridden corpse in a tranquil, hidden valley above the village of Swainshead. Or did it really begin with the unsolved murder in the same area over five years earlier? The villagers, especially those who frequent the White Rose, are annoyingly silent. Among the suspects are the Collier brothers, Stephen and Nicholas, from the wealthiest and most powe...

An affectionate and hilarious tribute to the childhood of another era, from one of Australia's favourite authorsA memoir of love, laughter, loss and billycarts Peter FitzSimons's account of growing up on the rural outskirts of Sydney in the 1960s is first and foremost a tribute to family. But it is also a salute to times and generations past, when praise was understated but love unstinting; work was hard and values clear; when people stood by each other in adversity. Above all, in t...

Two Ash Henderson crime thrillers from the author of four consecutive No. 1 Sunday Times bestsellers.BIRTHDAYS FOR THE DEAD: Detective Constable Ash Henderson has a dark secret…Five years ago his daughter, Rebecca, went missing on the eve of her thirteenth birthday. A year later the first card arrived: home-made, with a Polaroid picture stuck to the front – Rebecca, strapped to a chair, gagged and terrified. Every year another card: each one worse than the ...

The Sunday Times bestseller following the inspiring story of life as a shepherdess, by the star of More4's Our Farm Next Door: Amanda, Clive & the Kids and Channel 5’s Our Yorkshire Farm.Amanda Owen has been seen by millions on ITV's The Dales and Channel 5's Our Yorkshire Farm, living a life that has almost gone in today's modern world, a life ruled by the seasons and h...

In a sea-cave on Lovatt Island, just off the west coast of Scotland, a skeleton is found shackled to the rocks. A victim of unparalleled brutality, the skeleton seems to belong firmly in the past, and DI Marjory Fleming anticipates a straightforward case. But when a modern watch is discovered on the skeleton's wrist, Fleming realises the crime may be far closer to home.Meanwhile, a series of escalating crimes arise in the nearby village of Innellan. The villagers, with their own eni...

It looked bleak and predictable for little Keelen Mailman: an alcoholic mother, absent father, the horrors of regular sexual and physical assault and the casual racism of a small outback town in the sixties. But somehow, despite the pain and deprivation, the lost education, she managed to absorb her mother's lessons: her Bidjara language and culture, her obligations to Country, and her loyalty to her family.So it was no surprise to some that a girl who could hide for a year in her ...

Patty spent the first thirty three years of her life living with her family on remote outback station properties - Old Bando, Minetta, Old Outstation - in south west Queensland, Australia. When her brother, Kerry developed a brain tumor, they moved to live in Charleville - a small outback town. Patty has an understanding of the land, and a great love of reading. Look beyond the words to a life lived devoid of any luxuries, without ever a complaint, but full of simple joys, happiness and lo...

The first book in the famine trilogyUnder the Hawthorn Tree is Ireland's top selling children's book. The phenomenal success of this original and enthralling book is celebrated with this beautiful hardback gift edition. This novel has become a classic for young readers worldwide. Under the Hawthorn Tree continues to go from strength to strength and this new edition is a must for any collection.Ireland in the 1840s is devastated by famine. ...

Fabulous yarns and memories of going to school and teaching in the Outback.If your teacher commuted to school in a plane; if you had to watch out for rogue bulls rather than traffic; if your daily pick-up was done by a horse - you probably went to an outback school.this collection of more than sixty stories, gathered by Bill 'Swampy' Marsh in his travels across Australia, perfectly captures the experience of life growing up in the outback. Whether you loved school or not, these stor...