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Throughout southern Africa, shebeens are where jokes are born, news is embellished and exchanged. They are unique vantage points where men go after a day's work, both to escape from the troubled world around them and to observe and comment on it. In Shebeen Tales, Zimbabwe's leading author offers a view of his country not from the privileged and insulated perspective of a well-heeled visitor, but that of the ordinary person who, with the help of dry wit and illegal beer, pokes fun at the rich and mighty. Struggling against madcap motorists, pompous bureaucrats and the other woes of life in the city, the man in the shebeen sees modern Africa as it really is, not as press releases or tourist brochures would have us believe. Hove looks straight in the eye of a society suffering from AIDS, drought and economic hardship, but does not succumb to despair. With a wry sense of humour, he celebrates a people who live life to the full, laugh and sing, tell tall tales – whatever is thrown at them. In new pieces written for this edition, he discusses the vexed issue of homosexuality in Zimbabwe and also casts an amused eye at President Mugabe's wedding.

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Lorca's Sketches of Spain: Impressions and Landscapes is a unique book, now available in an unillustrated e-book edition as well as an illustrated print edition. Federico García Lorca’s first book, published when he was just nineteen, is a series of meditations on Spanish art, landscapes and history. Brimming with passion and excitement, the young writer travels in search of Spain's essential spirit: sunsets in Granada, the Gothic magnificence of Burgos Cathedral, ‘the savage splendour’ of Castile's mountains and plains. While Lorca celebrated Spanish culture – romantic gardens, agonised crucifixes, Gregorian plainchant and ‘the bite of flamenco' – he was also fearlessly critical when, for example, the harshness and celibacy of monks’ lives or poverty and injustice aroused his rage. Serif’s new edition of this formative work by one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers takes the reader straight to the heart of Lorca’s Spain. With its rich, poetic prose, Sketches of Spain is a missing piece in the jigsaw puzzle of a creative life cut tragically short by the author's assassination at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

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Gerald Brenan returned to Spain in 1949 for the first time since the Civil War. He was determined to see what had become of the country he loved, to speak to ordinary people and to experience life in small towns unvisited by foreigners. He had earlier lived in a remote village in the Sierra Nevada – now he returned to a land in the grip of famine where  guerrilleros[/i] roamed the mountains and thousands of people were reduced to living in caves.  Whether searching for his friend Lorca's unmarked grave, musing on the history of the great mosque in Córdoba and ancient synagogues in Toledo or chatting to provincial shopkeepers, Brenan was unfailingly perceptive. Although shadowed by police informers and harangued by Francoist priests, he was undeterred, and this witty and humane account of his visit illuminates a chapter of Spanish history that remains almost unknown. Franco's regime has now vanished, but its ghosts continue to haunt Spain. When they were alive, no one described the ogres and their victims more vividly than Gerald Brenan. 

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If you've ever wanted to backpack in Europe… If you want to relive your adventures… If you love good travel writing… Better than guidebooks, these first-person accounts paint vivid pictures of a traveler's experience in Europe. Like familiar music and favorite scents, they'll awaken a taste for adventure in those who have yet to travel, and bring back memories for those who have. Romance, surprise, discovery and wisdom all bubble through these authors' inviting pieces. At last, a collection of first-person eye-witness adventures that will keep you laughing, wondering, and walking with the well-traveled story tellers who take you inside Europe's must-see places. Billy Anderson stares down death at the running of the bulls in Pamplona. Lisa Cordeiro takes a «will work for food» approach to travel as a waitress at a Paris restaurant. And Mike Riley's desperate search for underwear in a Portuguese market… well, that's another story.

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The critically acclaimed, first comprehensive, English-language informative AND highly entertaining overview of a region of vital importance to the European–and global–economy and that represents the ancestry of tens of millions of North Americans and others throughout the world Sales of some 6,000 print copies at $24.95 since 2013 and has been widely⎯and very well⎯reviewed (39 customer reviews at Amazon, 4.5 stars). The first book to demystify a region whose history has helped shape our own, but that to date has been addressed comprehensively only by scholarly works Ideal for students, businesspeople, travelers, and history buffs The author combines extensive experience in the region, a degree in history from a leading university, and years as an analyst in the corporate world–and vouched for by scholars. Events will include not only bookstores and libraries but also colleges and companies that do business in the corporate world.

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California's Most Prestigious Wineries Invite You an an Irresistible Journey…to the congenial tasting rooms of a tri-county paradise. With The California Directory of Fine Wineries as your guide, you'll wander through world-famous Napa, home of the state's most recognized cellar landmarks. You'll meander scenic back roads on the way to Sonoma's premier wineries. You'll travel to rustic Mendocino, where the winemakers themselves will pour you a glass of their specialty. This fully updated, eighth edition of The California Directory of Fine Wineries is an essential guide to both glamorous estates and intimate, family-owned vineyards.Profiles of 67 Northern California wineries—describing their striking architecture, behind-the-scenes tours, & bountiful gardens.Descriptions of the wineries' distinctive features, from 100-year-old wine caves and museum-quality art exhibitions to bocce ball courts and tastings of local olive oils and other gourmet foods.More than 200 color images by renowned photographer Robert HolmesSidebars listing directions, vineyard tours, wine tastings, special culinary events, and nearby attractionsFull-page maps showing the 67 profiled destinations, plus more than 100 additional wineries in the three counties

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Take an irresistible journey to the congenial tasting rooms of a tri-county paradise. With The California Directory of Fine Wineries: Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino as your guide, you wander through world-famous Napa, home of the state's most recognized cellar landmarks. You meander scenic back roads on the way to Sonoma's premier wineries. You travel to rustic Mendocino, where the winemakers themselves pour you a glass of their specialty. This fully updated, seventh edition of The California Directory of Fine Wineries: Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino is an essential guide to both glamorous estates and intimate, family-owned vineyards.This book includes profiles of 68 Northern California wineries — describing their striking architecture, behind-the-scenes tours, and bountiful gardens; descriptions of the wineries' distinctive features, from 100-year-old wine caves and museum-quality art exhibitions to bocce ball courts and tastings of local olive oils and other gourmet foods; more than 200 color images by renowned photographer Robert Holmes; sidebars listing directions, vineyard tours, wine tastings, special culinary events, and nearby attractions; full-page maps showing the 68 profiled destinations, plus more than 100 additional wineries in the three counties.

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Take an irresistible journey to the congenial tasting rooms of a vast and unspoiled paradise. With The California Directory of Fine Wineries: Central Coast as your guide, you wander through world famous Santa Barbara County, home to the landmark cellars of Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria Valley, and Santa Rita Hills. You meander the scenic back roads of San Luis Obispo on your way to Edna Valley's premier wineries. You travel to rustic Paso Robles, where the winemakers themselves pour you a glass of their distinctive blends. This fully updated, third edition of The California Directory of Fine Wineries: Central Coast is an essential, up-to-date guide to boutique tasting rooms, working ranches, warehouse wineries, and intimate, family-owned vineyards.This book includes: profiles of 50 central coast destination wineries — describing their wines, settings, and rural architecture; highlights of the wineries' distinctive offerings, from theater performances and concerts to food-and-wine pairings to outdoor barbecues, inviting gardens, bocce ball courts, and picnic areas; more than 170 color images by renowned photographer Robert Holmes; sidebars listing directions, vineyard tours, wine tastings and blendings, special culinary events, and nearby attractions; full-page maps showing the 50 profiled destinations, plus more than 100 additional wineries in the

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This collection of 42 first-person accounts about backpacking in Europe will awaken a taste for adventure in those who have yet to travel, and bring back memories for those who have. Romance, surprise, discovery and wisdom all bubble through these authors’ riveting pieces.– Find a surprise romance in the fresh sea air of Cinque Terre- Dance the flamenco in Granada or sleep beneath the stars on a Barcelona beach- Sneak past Vatican guards to see Michaelangelo's Pieta- Lose your wallet, your passport, your entire pack—or maybe just your old ways of thinkingIf you’ve ever wanted to backpack or study abroad in Europe…If you want to relive your adventures…If you love good travel writing…Then sit back and enjoy Europe on a Budget – and feel your love for travel come alive in this one-of-a-kind collection of unique travel tales.

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Many changes have taken place in the decade since Follow the Blue Blazes was first published, changes in the trails themselves and in the way we hike them. The Buckeye Trail still wends its way around the state of Ohio, following the course marked out by the characteristic blue blazes on trees and signposts along the way. In the intervening years, however, sections of the trail have changed their route, added amenities, or just grown more interesting. From the startling rock formations and graceful waterfalls of Old Man’s Cave, to Native American mounds, battlefields, and scenic rivers, Connie and Robert J. Pond provide a captivating guide to often-overlooked treasures around the state. Each chapter features an overview of a 100-mile section of the trail and three self-guided featured hikes. The overviews and the accompanying maps may be read consecutively to acquaint the reader with the entire course of the trail. But most readers will best enjoy the trail by taking the guide along on one of the featured hikes. Each route is outlined on an easy-to-read map with GPS coordinates and waypoints to guide the hiker, as well as explicit directions from parking lot to trailhead. The Buckeye Trail is readily accessible from Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Cleveland, and Akron. Even a short trip can lead to an adventure near your own backyard.

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