Czechs – Page 4 – Thrift Reads

More Lasting Than Bronze A Story of the 1820 Settlers National Monument

$6.00

The 1820 Settlers National Monument, which honors the contribution to South African society made by the first big influx of British settlers, overlooks Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape. A living monument, it commemorates the English language as much as the original Settlers, themselves. It is a center for meetings of all citizens of the country. The 1820 Settlers National Monument is mainly used for activities which encourage the ideals of freedom of speech and social interaction using English as a contact language. The monument attributes the importance of the English language and culture in South Africa to two main factors, namely: the widespread use of the language across the country; and the tradition of democracy. Both factors continue to play an important role in the country. — The author was associated with the building of the monument since the 1955 start of the project to build it. The book traces the history and development of this unique center, including the author’s involvement, with many photos and drawings. Fair: Tidy condition, Marks on front Fly Leaf.

VICTORIA’S DAUGHTERS: New Zealand Women of The Thirties

$12.00

Much has been written about New Zealand in the 1930’s, during the years of the Depression, yet surprisingly little of this information has touched on the role of women during that period. Eve Ebbett has talked with many women – rich and poor, Maori and pakeha – who remember the time clearly. The book looks at the fashion and the fun, the hardships and the humiliations. It details the way education, careers and entertainment affected the lives of women – and the way they sought, and fought for, the right to birth control and pain-free birth Illustrated throughout with monochrome images. Fine: The book is in excellent condition. Minor creases to the top of the dust jacket.

Waddesdon Guide The Rothschild Collection

$8.00

With more than 15,000 works of art and objects, the collection ranges widely in date, materials and techniques, and places of production. Waddesdon Manor is especially renowned for the quality and depth of its French 18th-century collections, particularly furniture, porcelain and textiles. The passion for this period in French art, shared by the various members of the Rothschild family who were and are associated with the Manor, extends to other areas. These include books, drawings, paintings, clocks, architectural elements, sculpture and costume accessories. At present, only a fraction of Waddesdon Manor’s collections are online, but more objects are being added on a regular basis. Please make an appointment to see a specific piece, especially as certain categories of objects are not displayed because of their fragile nature. Good: Tidy condition.

Life on Earth A Natural History

$10.00

In this unique book, David Attenborough has undertaken nothing less than a history of nature, from the emergence of tiny one-celled organisms in the primeval slime more than 3,000 million years ago to apelike but upright man, equally well adapted to life in the rain forest of New Guinea and the glass canyons of a modern metropolis. Told through an examination of animal and plant life today – with occasional juxtapositions of extinct fossil forms to reveal the origin of living creatures – “Life on Earth” is an astonishing pageant of life, with a cast of characters drawn from the whole range of living animals the world over. Attenborough’s perceptive, dynamic approach to the evolution of some four million species of living organisms that populate the planet is to trace the most significant thread in the history of each major group. He then proceeds to explain from the evidence of living representatives and fossil remains why certain animals adapted and survived, evolved to more complex and “higher” forms of life, while others, by some inherent limitation imposed by their physiology or structure, failed and became extinct. “Life on Earth” is a book of wonders. A model of clarity and ease as a guide, Attenborough takes the reader around the world with him into jungles where orchids have petals that “impersonate” wasps to attract pollinating insects; to Australia, where honeypot ants force feed nectar to workers of a special caste, then hang them up by their forelegs like living storage jars; to remote mountains in Japan where little monkeys called macaques have learned to combat the winter snows by bathing in hot volcanic springs. Fine: Book is in excellent condition. Dust jacket has some minor marks along the top.

The Emerald Forest

$6.00

Set deep within the Amazon rainforest, The Emerald Forest tells the powerful story of a young boy who is abducted by a mysterious, unseen indigenous tribe known as the “Invisible People.” His disappearance devastates his family, especially his father, who spends the next ten years searching relentlessly through the vast and dangerous jungle. As the father ventures further into the wilderness, he encounters the raw beauty and harsh realities of the rainforest, where ancient tribal cultures and spiritual beliefs clash with the encroachment of modern civilization. Over time, the lost boy becomes fully integrated into the tribe’s way of life, creating a profound cultural and emotional divide between father and son. The novel builds toward a tense and dramatic reunion, exploring themes of identity, belonging, environmental conflict, and the collision between indigenous traditions and industrial expansion.

Facing Age A Practical Guide for Families

$12.00

‘How can we help our parents as they grow old, and what about our own retirement?’ As the population ages, increasing numbers of people are facing difficult questions about ageing, retirement, death and its aftermath. Many find it difficult to absorb and understand the detailed information required in order to make sensible decisions for their parents and for themselves. Nancye Bourke presents all the information you need in this clear and practical self-help guide. Community and health support systems in Australia and New Zealand are well established to assist the ageing person and their family as they move through the active retirement years to the point where failing health requires increasing support. Facing Age describes the systems available to support ageing, death and its aftermath. Among the issues covered are how assessment works, the provision of assistance in the home, hospitalisation, the problems of disability and abuse and remaining mentally healthy. Death creates a new set of questions as funerals must be arranged and estates settled. These days families are often widely scattered, possibly with a range of values and beliefs as well, so it is especially important that good communication and mutual respect are maintained. Nancye Bourke offers excellent advice to family members in such situations and emphasises the importance of understanding the special emotions of absence and grief that surface at times of crisis and loss. Facing Age concludes with a comprehensive list of useful addresses and contact details. Very Good: Very tidy condition, Almost like new.

Last Chance to See

$15.00

Join zoologist Mark Carwardine and Britain’s best-loved wit and raconteur, Stephen Fry, as they follow in their great friend Douglas Adams’ footsteps, in search of some of the rarest and most threatened animals on Earth.

Twenty years ago, zoologist Mark Carwardine teamed up with the late Douglas Adams (author of The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and together they embarked on a groundbreaking expedition, travelling the globe in search of some of the world’s most endangered animals. Now Mark has teamed up with one of Douglas’s closest friends – comic genius Stephen Fry – to see how all those animals have been faring in the years since. In Last Chance to See, and the accompanying major BBC television series, we follow the unlikely duo on six separate journeys which take them from the steamy jungles of the Amazon to the ice-covered mountain tops of New Zealand and from the edge of a war zone in Central Africa to a sub-tropical paradise in the North Pacific. Along the way, they search for some of the weirdest, most remarkable and most troubled creatures on earth: a large, black, sleepy animal easily mistaken for an unusually listless mudbank, a parrot with a song like an unreleased collection of Pink Floyd studio outtakes, a rhino with square lips, a dragon with deadly saliva, an animal roughly the length of a Boeing 737 and the creature most likely to emerge from the cargo doors of a spaceship.

A unique insight into the disappearing world around us, this is their hilarious, entertaining, informative and thought-provoking story.

Very Good: Very tidy condition.

The Archivist A Black Romance

$6.00

“Cal was born a pavement child in the city of Mahun the Goddess. There were many like him, but the life is hard: most do not survive. Cal, however, is beautiful, intelligent, and lucky. Having fallen into the hands of the oppressive Matriachy who have ruled the planet for thousands of years, Cal is rescued by Magon Nonpareil – Archivist of the City.” – back cover.

Who Was Albert Einstein?

$6.00

Everyone has heard of Albert Einstein-but what exactly did he do? How much do kids really know about Albert Einstein besides the funny hair and genius label? For instance, do they know that he was expelled from school as a kid? Finally, here’s the story of Albert Einstein’s life, told in a fun, engaging way that clearly explores the world he lived in and changed. Good: Very tidy condition.

The Story of Britain

$10.00

This book presents a broad, accessible narrative of British history, tracing the development of Britain from its earliest beginnings through to modern times. Rowse condenses complex historical periods into a clear, engaging overview, covering major events, influential figures, and social changes that shaped the nation. It explores key eras such as: Prehistoric and Roman Britain; The Anglo-Saxon and Norman periods; The medieval monarchy and conflicts; The rise of parliamentary power; The expansion of the British Empire; Industrialisation and modern political developments. The book is richly illustrated with maps and images, helping to bring historical events to life, and is aimed at general readers seeking an informative yet readable introduction to Britain’s past.

Devil Take the Hindmost A History of Financial Speculation

$6.00

A lively, original, and challenging history of stock market speculation from the 17th century to present day.

Is your investment in that new Internet stock a sign of stock market savvy or an act of peculiarly American speculative folly? How has the psychology of investing changed—and not changed—over the last five hundred years?

In Devil Take the Hindmost, Edward Chancellor traces the origins of the speculative spirit back to ancient Rome and chronicles its revival in the modern world: from the tulip scandal of 1630s Holland, to “stockjobbing” in London’s Exchange Alley, to the infamous South Sea Bubble of 1720, which prompted Sir Isaac Newton to comment, “I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people.”

Here are brokers underwriting risks that included highway robbery and the “assurance of female chastity”; credit notes and lottery tickets circulating as money; wise and unwise investors from Alexander Pope and Benjamin Disraeli to Ivan Boesky and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

From the Gilded Age to the Roaring Twenties, from the nineteenth century railway mania to the crash of 1929, from junk bonds and the Japanese bubble economy to the day-traders of the Information Era, Devil Take the Hindmost tells a fascinating story of human dreams and folly through the ages. Fair: Tidy condition.

The Tiger’s Apprentice Book One

$4.00

Tom Lee’s life changes forever the day he meets a talking tiger named Mr. Hu, and discovers he is the latest in a long line of magical Guardians.

From two–time Newbery Honor author Laurence Yep comes the first book in an action–packed fantasy series that has recently been optioned for film by Miramax!

Ages 10+

Ex Library: Binding is poor. but still readable.

Abbi Make Or Break

$5.00

This major new fiction series from Orchard takes the reader right to centre stage. Who doesn’t dream of becoming a star, having the audience love you, and being the best at what you do? Stage School captures the excitement, the angst, and the exhilaration of performing in a fine arts school. Ages 8-11. Very Good: Very tidy condition.

Last of the Wilds

$10.00

Although the architect of the White’s victory, Auraya feels no joy. Her days are spent trying to reconcile the Dreamweavers and the priesthood, while her sleep is filled with nightmares. The dead haunt her and the only one she trusts to help has vanished. Still struggling to come to terms with the increasingly powerful memories of the long-dead Mirar, the Dreamweaver, Leiard, flees into the mountains with Emerahl, perhaps the last of the Wilds. Emerahl is powerfully gifted, and helps Leiard to make sense of his strange jumble of memories. What they discover will change his life, and the world, forever … Very Good: Very tidy condition.

1788 Diary

$12.00

The first part of this book comprises essays, photos, and articles about Australia’s past and present. The second half of the book contains diary entries from 1788 written by Captain Arthur Phillip which were the unlikely pre-experiences of the founding of the nation of Australia. A historical treasure trove about Australia and its fascinating past. Very Good: Minor fading on the spine of the book otherwise in excellent condition.

Saint Camber Vol II In the Legends of Camber of Guldi

$5.00

The Final Sacrifice: Camber of Culdi, master of arcane Denyri powers, should have been content. When Imre’s evil reign threatened to destroy the Kingdom of Gwynedd, Camber had led the successful revolt against him and had found the last heir of the human kings to replace him. With the crowning of Cinhil, Camber’s work should have been done. But now Ariella, sister of the dead Imre, was plotting war against Cinhil. Only Camber could thwart her evil spells. Only Camber could guide Cinhil to unite human and Deryni forces. Cinhil, however, was in no mood to heed Camber’s advice. He was bitter and angry with Camber for having snatched him from his monastic cell and thrust him into this struggle for power. There seemed no hope for Gwynedd unless Camber could end the resentment of the King against him. And the only way to accomplish that was for Camber of Culdi to die! Poor: Creases on the cover, minor stains on some pages. Binding is good.

Who Was William Shakespeare? The Mystery of the World’s Greatest Playwright

$4.00

Everyone has heard of plays like Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. But why do we know so little about the man who wrote them? Who exactly was William Shakespeare from Stratford-upon-Avon, and why do so many people believe that he was not the person he seemed to be? Good: Very tidy condition.

Arctic Sounds Reader 5

$4.00

Takes the sounds from Sounds 5 Flash book and uses them in a story about the Arctic. Suggested level: preschool, junior. Good: Very tidy condition

The Saffron Runners

$8.00

Afghanistan, 1827. Suleiman stood in the carnage of his village. At twenty years old he was a man. “I am Suleiman! I take my birthright as Horse Master of all Farkhar”. He raised his sword, pointing west to Persia. “No longer will Prince Omid’s men plunder Afghanistan. We will follow you, Persians. We will seize your horses and restore our honour. We will invade!” Welcome to The Saffron Runners, the adventures of a bold band of brothers who make a fantastic journey from Hindu Kush to desert to fabled cities and back across the Border of Flags. There is only one thing on their minds: The horses. And only one Horse Master who can lead them. A tale of daring, deception, desperation and incredible action, The Saffron Runners will have your heart pounding as you urge the heavenly horses on, gallop with the drinkers of the wind, and thrill to hot-blooded chases spiced with mystery and romance … and always, always, the lure of a destiny to be fulfilled. Outstandingly well researched and brimming with historical detail. Good: Tidy condition

Eagle Strike

$6.00

Alex Rider has ninety minutes to save the world. Relaxing in the south of France with his friend Sabina Pleasure and her family, reluctant MI6 agent Alex Rider is finally able to be like any ordinary 14-year-old. Until a sudden, ruthless attack on his hosts plunges him back into a world of violence and mystery – and this time, MI6 don’t want to know. Especially when Alex tells them that Damian Cray – celebrity, human rights campaigner and the man behind Gameslayer, a state-of-the-art new games console – could be involved. Alex is determined to track down his friends’ attackers, even if he must do it alone. But it’s a path that leads to a long-buried secret – and a discovery more terrible than anything he could have imagined. Fair: Minor crease on back cover.

Arise My Love– Mysticism for a New Era

$8.00

Seamlessly blending history and philosophy, and with deep knowledge of Buddhist, Christian, and Hindu traditions, Johnston provides an exhilarating look at what a new Christian mysticism might be, and what it may accomplish. Good: Tidy condition

Iron Hand

$8.00

‘Edie,’ said George, ‘we’re going to do this together. I’ll be right there with you. Anything, anyone trying to get you is going to have to come past me first.’ But when George makes his promise he is not aware that high on the rooftops an unseen gargoyle is watching them hungrily, quivering with anticipation for the moment when it will unfold its stone wings and pounce. The thing on the roof knows that nothing is over; nothing is finished. Ironhand takes us deeper into the layers of un-London, the place where the good and the bad statues, the spits and the taints, walk and war. George and Edie must repay the debt which they owe the Gunner for his sacrifice. They must face unspeakable danger and doubt if they are to save him. This second title in the Stoneheart sequence by Charlie Fletcher will shake you with its imaginative grasp and vision. It is an epic excitement, not to be missed … Good: Tidy condition

Too Many Mothers A Memoir of an East End Childhood

$10.00

Too Many Mothers is the remarkable story of Roberta Taylor’s early life and the extended family that brought her up. Nanny Mary was the wily matriarch, who would do almost anything to survive, including stealing from her seven children. Her nerve, humour and sheer determination were also the glue that held the family together. Roberta was born to a father Roberta’s mother adored, but that she herself would never know. In this memoir, Roberta Taylor travels to the emotional heart of her childhood to reveal the lives led by the men and women who influenced her most in her formative years. Too Many Mothers is a portrait of an embattled family at war with itself and the outside world. From petty crime to pet monkeys, tender romance to emotional blackmail, illegitimacy, adoption and even murder, Roberta Taylor has written a bittersweet and ultimately unforgettable memoir of her early life. Very Good: Very tidy condition almost as new.

Hollow Man

$6.00

Fans of YOU on Netlfix will love Mark Pryor’s Hollow Man.

“As sharp and slick as a switchblade—both excellent entertainment and an acute psychological portrait. Add Mark Pryor to your must-read list—I have.” —LEE CHILD, #1 New York Times–bestselling author

Dominic is a prosecutor, a musician, and an Englishman living in Texas. He’s also a psychopath. His main goal is to hide his condition and lead a seemingly normal life in hopes to pay off his debts and become a full-time musician in Austin’s club scene. But on one lousy day his carefully-controlled world starts to shatter: he’s demoted at work and accused of stealing a fellow musician’s song. He also meets a beautiful woman in a lime green dress–perhaps the biggest threat to his safety of all. At her urging, Dominic hatches a plan to steal a van he knows will be filled with cash. He picks two friends as accomplices, insisting on no guns and no violence. But a security guard catches them in the act and simple theft turns into capital murder. Cracks start to show in the conspiracy and, with no allegiance to anyone but himself, Dominic has to decide whether to stick by his partners in crime, or let his true nature come out to play. Fair: Minor crease on back cover.

Maestra The Most Shocking Thriller You’ll Read This Year

$10.00

Judith Rashleigh works as an assistant in a prestigious London auction house, but her dreams of breaking into the art world have been gradually dulled by the blunt forces of snobbery and corruption. To make ends meet she moonlights as a hostess in one of the West End’s less salubrious bars – although her work there pales against her activities on nights off. When Judith stumbles across a conspiracy at her auction house, she is fired before she can expose the fraud. In desperation, she accepts an offer from one of the bar’s clients to accompany him to the French Riviera. But when an ill-advised attempt to slip him sedatives has momentous consequences, Judith finds herself fleeing for her life. Now alone and in danger, all Judith has to rely on is her consummate ability to fake it amongst the rich and famous – and the inside track on the hugely lucrative art fraud that triggered her dismissal. Very Good: Very tidy condition almost as new. DIFFERENT COVER

The Nymph King

$5.00

Females young and old, beautiful and plain, crave Valerian’s touch. None can resist his blatant sensuality and potent allure – until he steals Shaye Holling from a Florida beach and holds her prisoner in his underwater kingdom. Poor: Tidy condition minor marks on the cover.

A Mysterious Affair of Style

$6.00

London 1946. A decade may have passed since she solved the ffolkes Manor murder case narrated in The Act of Roger Murgatroyd, but Evadne Mount, herself the irrepressible author of countless bestselling whodunits, has aged as little as most fictional sleuths tend to do. And here she is again, in A Mysterious Affair of Style, seconded as ever by her loyal, long-suffering partner-in-detection, Chief-Inspector Trubshawe, formerly of Scotland Yard, on the trail of an even more fiendishly ingenious killer. Fair: Tidy condition

Fugitive Pieces

$6.00

A young boy, Jakob Beer, is rescued from the mud of a buried Polish city during the Second World War and taken to an island in Greece by an unlikely saviour, the scientist and humanist Athos Roussos. There, in the seclusion and tenderness of Athos’s house, they spend the last years of the Occupation in a precarious refuge made lavish with poetry and cartography, botany and art.
In the novel’s second part, Ben, a young professor and an expert in the drama of weather and biography, meets the now sixty-year-old Jacob and his ardent and glorious Michaela at the home of a mutual friend. The quiet elation Ben senses in the older man, and Ben’s own connection to the wounding legacies of the war, kindle a fascination with Jakob and his writing, disturbing the safety of his carefully ordered world. Fair: Tidy condition

Blood on the Tide

$8.00

Set sail for adventure and love in the next spicy fantasy romance from Katee Robert, the New York Times bestselling author of the TikTok smash hit Neon Gods.

As a bloodline vampire, Lizzie has never had a problem taking what she wants, and right now what she wants are the family heirlooms that were stolen from her, a ship, and a portal home. Unfortunately, even that short list is impossible to accomplish on her own-and her allies have bigger things to worry about. When they rescue a selkie, it’s the perfect solution to her problem. Lizzie needs a guide through Threshold and the selkie needs her skin back.

Maeve didn’t choose to give up her skin-it was stolen from her. Now she’s in an uneasy partnership with a dangerous woman who seems more apt to kill than to share a kind word. It’s terrifying…and a bit alluring. Even though she knows it will end in heartbreak, Maeve can’t help being drawn to Lizzie.

Unfortunately, the danger to Maeve’s heart is the least of her worries. Good: Tidy condition

A Twist in the Tale Twelve Short Stories

$12.00

It is an alliance made in hell and it has just one purpose – the destruction of the president of the United States. Saddam Hussein is the instigator, but while he sets his plans in motion, a beautiful young Israeli girl, with a reason for revenge is being put in place by Mossad. Fine: almost like new very tidy condition.

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