Little Book of . . . – serie

A little book on the Swedish tradition of fika—the twice-daily coffee break—including facts, quotes, tips, and 20 sweet and savory recipes. While the Danish concept of hygge as caught on around the globe, so has lagom—its Swedish counterpart. An essential part of the lagom lifestyle, fika is the simple art of taking a break—sometimes twice a day—to enjoy a warm beverage and sweet treat with friends. This delightful gift book offers an introduction to the tradition along with recipes to help you establish your own fika practice.

Restore your spiritual balance and unleash the healing powers you never knew were inside youChakras are your body's spiritual centres of vibrant, healing energy, and with the right tools you can tap into their power to regain mental, emotional and physical health. This beginner's guide explains the seven major chakras in the system, from root to crown, and the physical function and emotional and spiritual aspects of each. Discover the ways to awaken each one and how to channel their energy for optimum health, well-being and balance.Exploring the mental and physical aspects of each chakra, the chapters inside this book reveal how diet, yoga and meditation can bring balance and harmony to your daily life. To complete this holistic treatment, the sections on crystals and essential oils show further ways of boosting vitality and cleansing mind, body and spirit. Let the information in these pages be the starting point on your path to effective chakra healing.

The Little Book of Crime and Punishment is a repository of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts and trivia about the history of the British criminal justice system. Learn of the days when noses, hands and heads were cut off, heretics were burned at the stake and rebels were hanged, drawn and quartered. A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the various forms of punishments; from ducking scolds, imposing curfews, tagging persistent offenders and, of course, imprisonment

Warwickshire, home to William Shakespeare, Rupert Brooke and the legendary Lady Godiva, boasts a rich and engaging history. Revealed within is a plethora of entertaining facts about Warwickshire’s famous and occasionally infamous men and women, its towns and countryside, battles and sieges, literary, artistic and sporting achievements, and its customs ancient and modern, including the 800-year-old Atherstone Ball Game which is still played every Shrove Tuesday. This quirky guide can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring attraction of the county. A remarkably enlightening little book, this is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.

Norwich is a city that has seen it all. Its citizens have been murdered with poisoned dumplings, royalty and rogues have walked the same cobbled streets, and rioters have mustered outside its city gates. Quirky details and local anecdotes abound as this jam-packed compendium explores the UK’s most easterly city, from its earliest origins to the present day. Looking at conflicts, sports, entertainment, traditions and all that makes Norwich special, this book will entertain and enthrall all those looking for some frivolous facts about this marvellous city.

Fast-paced and fact-packed, this compendium revels in the history, places and people of Wales’ largest county. Carmarthenshire’s rich heritage is explored within, including sport, industry, religion, education and the arts. This whistle-stop tour through the ‘Garden of Wales’ covers both celebrated characters and murky pasts, taking in the county’s breathtaking castles, nature reserves and famous landmarks along the way. From the county gaol and asylum to school strikes and industrial riots, this is a book you won’t want to put down.

A rich, and indeed sometimes bizarre, thread of history weaves its way through the Bristol story. Find out all manner of things, from why a ‘Bristol Diamond’ would never be found in a jewellery shop to why local by-laws restrict carpet beating to certain hours. Along with a fresh look at city life past and present, these and many more anecdotes will surprise even those Bristolians who thought they really knew their city.

The Little Book of Lincolnshire is a compendium of fascinating information about this historic county, past and present. Contained within is a plethora of entertaining facts about Lincolnshire’s famous and occasionally infamous men and women, its towns and countryside, history, natural history, literary, artistic and sporting achievements, customs ancient and modern, transport, battles and ghostly inhabitants.A reliable reference book and quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of the county. A remarkably engaging little book, this is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.

The Little Book of Stillorgan is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about this vibrant suburb of Dublin. This book takes the reader on a journey through Stillorgan and its vibrant past. Here you will discover Stillorgan’s rural past, its famous sons and daughters, its churches, pubs, shops and schools, its industries and sporting heritage and its natural history. You will also glimpse a darker side to Stillorgan with a look at crime and unrest in the district. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this south Dublin suburb.

The Little Book of Tipperary is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about County Tipperary. Here you will find out about Tipperary’s industrial past, its proud sporting heritage, its arts and culture and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. Through quaint villages and bustling towns, this book takes the reader on a journey through County Tipperary and its vibrant past. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this varied county.

This is a fact-packed compendium of snippets from the past and present, including historical tales, legends and myths of the Lake District and the rest of the region from Barrow to Carlisle. The towns and villages all have their stories to tell of industries past and present, of natural and man-made disasters, of battles, of law and order, crimes and punishments. In The Little Book of Cumbria you will read of the people, their traditions, their heritage, language and folklore. The topics range from amusing trivia to great events that changed things forever. You can read the book from cover to cover or dip in at your leisure.

Did you know? On 6 July 1924, high jumper and legendary Gaelic footballer Larry Stanley became the first athlete to represent independent Ireland in an Olympic athletics competition. Tom Kiely, arguably Ireland’s greatest athlete, won in excess of 1,000 prizes, five AAA hammer titles and fifty-three national titles between 1888 and 1908. The oldest medallist in Olympic track and field history is Irish-born Matt McGrath, who won a medal in Paris in 1924 at the age of 49 years and 195 days. In the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Ronnie Delany became Ireland’s first track champion, winning the 1,500m title with a new Olympic record time of 3:41.2. The Little Book of Irish Athletics is a concise history of all the major occasions in Irish athletics, from the nineteenth century to the Morton Mile of July 2017. This new book from author Tom Hunt is a must for fans of Irish athletics all over the world. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about Ireland’s proud sporting heritage.

Compiled by paranormal historian Paul Adams, this spine-chilling book features intriguing, obscure, and strange trivia about all things that go bump in the night. Here you will find haunted houses and castles, parks and woods, highways and byways, phantom animals, royal ghosts, angry poltergeists and haunted objects. Also included are spooky séances and time slip ghosts, as well as some of the famous ghost-hunters themselves, including Harry Price, Elliott O’Donnell and R. Thurston Hopkins. Anyone curious enough to pick up this book will be terrified and enthralled and never short of some frivolous fact to enhance a conversation or quiz!

The Little Book of Donegal is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about County Donegal. Here you will find out about Donegal’s folklore and customs, its proud sporting heritage, its castles, forts and stone circles, its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. Through quaint villages and historic towns and along the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’, this book takes the reader on a journey through County Donegal and its vibrant past. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this ancient county.

The Little Book of Tyrone is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about this much-loved county. Here you will find out about Tyrone’s myth and legend, its proud sporting heritage, its castles and great houses and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. Through quaint villages and bustling towns, this book takes the reader on a journey through County Tyrone and its vibrant past.A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the history and the secrets of this ancient county.

The Little Book of Bray & Enniskerry is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts.Here you will find out about Bray and Enniskerry's history, their famous faces, their buildings and streets, their sporting heritage and their myths and legends. Through main thoroughfares and twisting back streets, this book takes the reader on a journey through the area's past.A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of these ancient settlements.

Cork Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in the world. It is a historical wonder, surrounded by villages, forts, towers and churches, all of which combine to tell the colourful story of Ireland’s largest county. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this book by author and historian Kieran McCarthy can be dipped into time and again to uncover new landmarks, people and stories from this stunning part of the world.

The Little Book of Newcastle is a funny, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which no-one will want to be without. Here we find out about the most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and literally hundreds of wacky facts (plus some authentically bizarre bits of historic trivia). John Sadler’s new book gathers together a myriad of data on Newcastle. There are lots of factual chapters but also plenty of frivolous details which will amuse and surprise. A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of the city. A remarkably engaging little book, this is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.

Did you know that the inventor of the submarine was born along the west coast of Ireland, that ships from the Spanish Armada floundered off the Irish Atlantic seaboard and that guns for the 1916 Easter Rising were to be landed at Barna Strand in Co. Kerry but the ship, The Aud, was intercepted by the British Navy? Did you know that there was a plan to smuggle Marie Antoinette from France and away from Madame Guillotine to Dingle, that the Fasnet Rock off the south coast is known as the ‘tear drop of Ireland’ and that Maureen O’Hara’s husband was a flying boat pilot who regularly flew into the flying boat station at Foynes? And did you know that Martello towers were built along the western seaboard during the Napoleonic Wars in case Napoleon tried to invade Great Britain via ‘the back door’? This fact-packed little book is full of all sorts of information that will surprise even those who think they know the towns and villages along the Wild Atlantic Way.

The Little Book of Derry is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about County Derry. Here you will find out about Derry’s history and archaeology, its arts and culture, its proud sporting heritage and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. Through quaint villages and bustling towns, this book takes the reader on a journey through County Derry and its vibrant past. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this fascinating county.

The Little Book of the Cotswolds is a veritable smorgasbord of Cotswold miscellany, packed with fascinating titbits and all manner of factual frippery – from Cotswold lions to puppy dog pies. The region’s strangest traditions, its most eccentric inhabitants, blood-curdling murders and right royal connections combine with humorous cartoons to make this quirky little book difficult to put down.

The five Tudor monarchs – Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I – were some of the most influential rulers in British history. This volume explores all aspects of life in the Tudor age, from life at court (and at the grand country estates where Queen Elizabeth paused during her famous ‘progresses’) to the day-to-day activities at the teeming taverns and plague-ridden cities of the Tudor kingdom. With chapters on the people, palaces and pastimes of the age, some amusing secrets of the Tudor medicine cabinet and closet, and stories from some of the most fabulous, eccentric and opulent entertainments of the age, it will delight anyone with an interest in Tudor history – or indeed, in British history as a whole.

The Little Book of Leicestershire is a compendium full of information which will make you say, ‘I never knew that!’ Contained within is a plethora of entertaining facts about Leicestershire’s famous and occasionally infamous men and women, its literary, artistic and sporting achievements, customs ancient and modern, transport, battles and ghostly appearances. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of the county. A remarkably engaging little book, this is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.

The Little Book of Herefordshire is a compendium full of information which will make you say, ‘I never knew that!’ Contained within is a plethora of entertaining facts about Herefordshire’s famous and occasionally infamous men and women, its literary, artistic and sporting achievements, customs ancient and modern, transport, battles and ghostly appearances. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of the county. A remarkably engaging little book, this is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.

The Little Book of Edinburgh is a funny, fast-paced, fact-packed compendium of the sort of frivolous, fantastic or simply strange information which no-one will want to be without. Here we find out about the most unusual crimes and punishments, eccentric inhabitants, famous sons and daughters and literally hundreds of wacky facts. Geoff Holder’s new book contains historic and contemporary trivia on Edinburgh. There are lots of factual chapters but also plenty of frivolous details which will amuse and surprise. A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something you never knew. Discover the real story of Greyfriars Bobby (he was a publicity stunt), meet the nineteenth-century counterparts of our favourite modern detectives, from Jackson Brodie to John Rebus, seek out historical sites from the distant past to the Second World War, and tangle with the Tattoo and freak out with the Festival. A remarkably engaging little book, this is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.

The Little Book of Wiltshire is a compendium of fascinating information about the county, past and present. Contained within is a plethora of entertaining facts about Wiltshire’s famous and occasionally infamous men and women, its towns and countryside, history, natural history, literary, artistic and sporting achievements, agriculture, transport, industry and royal visits. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped in to time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of the county. A remarkably engaging little book, this is essential reading for visitors and locals alike. A reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage, the secrets and the enduring fascination of the county. It is essential reading for visitors and locals alike.

The Little Book of Galway is a compendium of fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts about County Galway. Here you will find out about Galway’s history, its literary heritage, its cathedrals and castles, its festivals and fairs, and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. Through quaint villages and bustling towns, this book takes the reader on a journey through County Galway and its vibrant past. A reliable reference book and a quirky guide, this can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about the people, the heritage and the secrets of this fascinating county.