The Great Adventure

Bernard Piccard & Brian Jones (Headline / £18.99)

The balloonists own account of their epic round the world voyage. An amazing tale of courage and stamina in their state of the art balloon. One of the great adventures of the century.

Havana Bay

by Martin Craig Smith (Macmillan I/£16.99)

Smith’s Gorky Park was the thriller of the 80s. Since then there has been nothing further heard about its hero Arkady Renko, the dogged Russian investigator, until now. The earlier novel began with three bodies frozen in the ice and snow of Gorky park. This story moves to warmer climes and starts with an unrecognisable corpse floating in Havana Bay. The perplexed Cuban authorities call in Renko to investigate.

Black Notice

by Patricia Cornwell (Little Brown / £16.99)

Dr Kay Scarpetta is back and soon hot on the trail of an odd tattoo on the decomposed body of a stowaway.

Gareth Edwards : The Autobiography

by Gareth Edwards (Headline / £18.99)

Twenty years after his retirement from a brilliant career in rugby, Edwards looks back in a book filled with anecdotes, analysis and frank appraisal of the new professionalism in sport.

NB: The prices quoted are those recommended by publishers for their hard cover editions. By shopping around buyers may find prices as much as £3-4 cheaper at certain chain bookstores such as Waterstones and Ottakars (or via internet shopping)  

The Man Who Invented The 20th Century

by Robert Lomas (Headline / £12.99)

Nikola Tesla, forgotten genius of electricity. His inventions include radio, AC power, fluorescent light, the hydroelectric generator and radio imaging, the precursor to Radar.

Life And Work Of Alan Blumlein

by Robert Alexander (Focal Press / £29.99)

Credited with being the inventor of stereo, this book is the definitive study of the life and works on one of Britain’s most important inventors, who due to a cruel set of circumstances has all but been overlooked by history.

The Movie Book

(Phaidon / £24.95)

This coffee table book (if your particular table can take the weight) is an A to Z guide to 500 individuals from around the world who have made landmark contributions to film. Each entry is illustrated with large photos or film stills in colour and black & white. The text offers biographical information and has a comprehensive cross reference glossary.

Easy Riders Raging Bulls

by Peter Biskind (Bloomsberg / £8.99)

A comprehensive account of the rise and fall of the 70s Hollywood greats with some really jawdropping gossip. Hopper, Altman, Bogdanovich, Scorsese and Coppola, all emerge with their reputations trashed. Compelling stuff. 

A

HAPPY

AND

PROSPEROUS

              2000

              TO EVERYONE

DON’T FORGET THE AGM - FEBRUARY 13th