Books published by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

The Wombles live in a beautifully snug, well-ordered and cosy burrow underneath Wimbledon Common - the perfect base from which to sort and recycle all the rubbish that unthinking humans constantly drop. But the Wombles' peaceful and harmonious existence is suddenly under threat.

An intriguing investigation, shattering the hackneyed notion that knowledge is power.

In the eighth of the River Cottage Handbook series, PamCorbin offers an appealing guide to baking perfectcakes

Shortlisted for the Orange Prize 2011

Lulu is given a special present by Mummy - her very own potty. Lulu does her first wee-wee in the potty. Soon she's sitting on her potty everywhere - in the kitchen, , in the playroom, even in the garden! Then Lulu graduates from wearing nappies to wearing big girl knickers and using the big toilet, with a few tiny accidents along the way.

This book is unique in that it covers the visual research process and detail and relates it not only to fashion design but also to all areas of the fashion industry.

Present economics as an objective science free from value judgements; that settles disputes by testing hypotheses; that applies a pre-determined body of principles; and contains policy prescriptions supported by a consensus of professional opinion. It shows how real economics is much more interesting than most economists are willing to let on.

Good evening. I'm Inspector Carter. Take my case. This must be Charles Haversham! I'm sorry, this must've given you all a damn shock. After benefitting from a large and sudden inheritance, the inept and accident-prone Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society embark on producing an ambitious 1920s murder mystery. They are delighted that neither casting issues nor technical hitches currently stand in their way. However, hilarious disaster ensues and the cast start to crack under the pressure, but can they get the production back on track before the final curtain falls? The Play That Goes Wrong is a farcical murder mystery, a play within a play, conceived and performed by award-winning company Mischief. It was first published as a one-act play and is published in this new edition as a two-act play.

A biography of the celebrated author of classics such as "Strangers on a Train" and "The Talented Mr Ripley".

Presenting a history of the contradictory, often militaristic, role of Zen Buddhism, this book documents the unknown support of a supposedly peaceful religion for Japanese militarism throughout World War II. It draws on the writings and speeches of leading Zen masters and scholars.

Dance composition is an important part of dance education because it is the discipline that translates ideas into dances. Revised, redesigned and expanded, and now with a new DVD, this seminal book explores essential guidelines and thus contributes to a greater understanding of dance composition as a discipline.

Since its publication in 1982, The Color Purple has polarized critics and generated controversy while delighting many readers around the world. Rachel Lister offers a clear, stimulating and wide-ranging exploration of the critical history of Alice Walker's best-selling novel, from contemporary reviews through to twenty-first-century readings.This Reader's Guide:* opens with an overview of Walker's work* provides a detailed consideration of the conception and reception of The Color Purple* examines coverage of key critical issues and debates such as Walker's use of generic conventions, linguistic and narrative strategies, race, class, gender and sexual politics* covers the reception and cultural impact of cinematic and musical adaptations, including Steven Spielberg's 1985 film and the recent Broadway production.Lively and insightful, this is an indispensable volume for anyone studying, or simply interested in, Alice Walker and her most famous work.

Tom Ripley is quietly living a life of luxury at his chateau at Villeperce, and, as ever, is keeping one step ahead of the law - he has, after all, a past that would not bear too much close scrutiny.

The shocking psycho-thriller behind the cult Japanese horror film

Austrian troops played a part in almost every major campaign of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. This volume look at the life and experience of both the ordinary infantryman and the veteran elite soldiers of the Grenadier battalions.

For every group that is oppressed, one or more other groups are privileged in relation to it. This book argues that privilege, as the other side of oppression, has been given insufficient attention in both critical theories and in the practices of social change and as a result, dominant groups have been allowed to reinforce their dominance.

Skuas (and jaegers) are a fascinating and ­popular group of seabirds that make up a subfamily of just seven species. They can be ­divided into two main groups: the larger species of Catharacta skuas which are mainly found in the southern hemisphere (with Great Skua breeding­ in the north), and the three Stercorarius species (also known as jaegers) which breed in the ­northern hemisphere. Both northern and southern skuas breed at high latitudes and several ­species are long-distance migrants, ­performing spectacular migrations through most of the world''s oceans, ­sometimes even flying overland. The individual plumage variation in some species is enormous, creating one of the most puzzling yet fascinating challenges in modern field identification. This is the first complete identification guide to the skuas of the world. It is designed to enable species ­identification and correct ­ageing, and the information presented is based on years of study in the field, detailed examination of photographs and ­museum skins, and ­extensive research of the ­relevant literature. The comprehensive text is accompanied by twelve exquisite colour plates by Hans Larsson, illustrating a wide range of plumages. In ­addition, there are eight pages of colour ­photographs and numerous black and white photographs and drawings that show key ­identification ­features. With this book, the seabird enthusiast­ should at last be able to ­identify almost every skua encountered, whether on a seawatch or at sea.

Aimed at the novice looking to either build or restore a traditional boat, this book takes a uniquely modern approach by using up-to-date techniques and methods throughout.

In AD 77, Roman forces under Agricola marched into the northern reaches of Britain in an attempt to pacify the Caledonian tribesman. For seven years, the Romans marched and battled across what is now Scotland. Finally, in AD 83, they fought the final battle at Mons Graupius where 10,000 Caledonians were slaughtered from only 360 Roman dead.

Nicknamed 'The Desert Fox' for his cunning command of the Afrika Korps, Erwin Rommel remains one of the most popular and studied of Germany's World War II commanders. This book looks at the life of this daring soldier, focusing on his style of command and the tactical decisions that earned him his fearsome reputation.

Demonstrates the art of good sail trim with the aid of superb colour diagrams and photographs.

The Malagasy region contains one of the most extraordinary concentrations of biodiversity in the world. Its recognition as a zoogeographic region in its own right has recently been confirmed, and, all taxa combined, the region was found to hold the second most distinct assemblage of vertebrates in the world after the Australian region, despite being the smallest of them all. This new field guide from the Helm Field Guides series covers the whole of the Malagasy region, which comprises the unique island of Madagascar and the various islands and archipelagos of the Indian Ocean, including the Seychelles, Comoros, and Mascarenes (Mauritius, Réunion, and Rodrigues). Every resident and migrant species is covered in full detail with a color distribution map for each species. Vagrants are also treated in detail, and all species are illustrated on a beautiful series of 124 color plates, with artwork from John Gale and Brian Small. Conveniently, the plates have been arranged so that all the key species of the various archipelagos are placed together in sections. This is a major work of reference on the birds of the region and will remain the standard text for many years to come.

The groundbreaking reference work on high speed racing techniques - the bible for racing sailors of all levels and abilities from dinghies through to America's Cup.

A groundbreaking, technical book on yacht design linked to the theory and testing of how a sailing yacht behaves underway.

This volume offers the first comprehensive guide in English to the myth and legend of the Russian Empire and other Slavic countries and peoples. There are few stories more stirring than those of ancient Russia.

Examines a dozen works of digital literature, a category comprising creative works that are principally (but not exclusively) textual in character, and which includes interactive poetry, narrative computer games, projective digital art, among other creative classifications specific to digital media.

Nader Shah, ruler of Persia from 1736 to 1747, embodied ruthless ambition, energy, military brilliance, cynicism and cruelty. His reign was filled with bloodshed, betrayal and horror. Yet Nader Shah is central to Iran's early modern history. This book features the story of this remarkable, ruthless man, capable of both charm and brutality.

Saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer Ornette Coleman has earned enduring praise as an American jazz icon. Stephans weaves together analysis of Coleman's recordings and exploration of the free jazz movement with interviews of those who knew Coleman best to tell an inspiring story of artistic genius and resilience.

Explores a key hip hop album marking the cross over point where the streets and the charts collided.

This history of the Soviet BMP armoured infantry vehicle, one of the most revolutionary advances in infantry tactics and armoured-vehicle design of the post-war era, describes its development and combat history since the 1960s, and includes contemporary photographs and colour plates and cut-aways.