Inspired by a wartime mission to occupied China, Joseph Needham started writing what would become a twenty-four-volume masterpiece, chronicling the nation's history of invention and technology over five thousand years. This book tells the story of Joseph Needham, his book, the passion that inspired it, and the rise of Chinese nation.

A sublime and witty lexicon of fascinatingly precise universal truths without English translations.

Hidden behind velvet curtains above a stairway in a house in London's Piccadilly is an enormous and beautiful hand-coloured map - the first geological map of anywhere in the world. Its maker was a farmer's son named William Smith. Born in 1769 his life was beset by troubles. This title tells his story.

A short story anthology of adventure in places that feel like the middle of nowhere, this work is an exploration of the remote corners of our world. It's about the places and experiences that give you a sense that you are far from home, far from anywhere you've known - the middle of nowhere.

The Meaning of Everything is the story behind the making of the first Oxford English Dictionary. In this account of the OED's creation, Winchester introduces a host of characters, from the murderer who contributed from his prison cell to the self-taught draper's son who guided the project towards fruition.

Following the hugely successful hardback, this extraordinary tale of the father of modern geology looks set to be the non fiction paperback for 2002. Hidden behind velvet curtains above a stairway in a house in London's Piccadilly is an enormous and beautiful hand-coloured map - the first geological map of anywhere in the world. Its maker was a farmer's son named William Smith. Born in 1769 his li

The Aftermath Project.

Chronicles the destruction of Indonesian island of Krakatoa in 1883. This book describes how one island and its inhabitants were blasted out of existence and how colonial society was turned upside-down in a cataclysm.

The author undertakes a journey from the mouth of the Yangste River to its source. This book presents the story of the river, it's cities and their people, built around the author's own journey to discover something of the essence of China and her people, the Yangtse being her soul and center.

Before fate intervened, Joseph Needham was a distinguished biochemist at Cambridge University, married to a fellow scientist. In 1937 he was asked to supervise a young Chinese student named Lu Gwei-Djen, and in that moment began the two greatest love affairs of his life Miss Lu, and China. Miss Lu inspired Needham to travel to China where he initially spent three dangerous years as a wartime d

Joseph Needham was a distinguished biochemist at Cambridge University, married to a fellow scientist. In 1937 he was asked to supervise a Chinese student named Lu Gwei-Djen, and in that moment began the two greatest love affairs of his life - Miss Lu, and China.

The making of the Oxford English Dictionary was a monumental 50 year task requiring thousands of volunteers. One of the keenest volunteers was a W C Minor who astonished everyone by refusing to come to Oxford to receive his congratulations. In the end, James Murray, the OED's editor, went to Crowthorne in Berkshire to meet him. What he found was incredible - Minor was a millionaire American civil

The stories in this collection span the globe, from battling snakes in Costa Rica to probing personal reactions to India's caste system, navigating the 'oldest tourist trap in the world' in Egypt, and learning to cook octopus in Mexico.

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The making of the Oxford English Dictionary was a monumental 50 year task requiring thousands of volunteers. One of the keenest volunteers was a W C Minor who astonished everyone by refusing to come to Oxford to receive his congratulations. In the end, James Murray, the OED's editor, went to Crowthorne in Berkshire to meet him.

Violent politics in Northern Ireland has lasted 30 years and cost 4000 lives and billions of pounds. Many such conflicts afflict the world. This book describes the search for causes and solutions.

Simon Winchester has joined forces with his son, Rupert, to reflect on that crazy, captivating and elusive Indian city, Calcutta. They have chosen their selection of favourite writings on Calcutta, resulting in a uniquely personal view of one of the world's most resonant destinations.