Outros livros que poderiam interessá-lo

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  The Intelligent Spy's Handbook

  Robin Renwick

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  Few professions comprise such an eclectic mix of personalities as that of intelligence. The characteristics required to thrive as a spy – ideological conviction, ego, the ability to manipulate, deceive and remain cold – have created some of the most compelling and enduring figures in history.
  In The Intelligent Spy's Handbook, Robin Renwick provides an overview of the biggest names in the world of espionage, with a wonderful eye for the details that bring each of them to life. We hear, for instance, of how Kim Philby, to have fun at the expense of his colleagues, kept a photograph in his office of Mount Ararat – taken from the Soviet side.
  We see how the audacious, far-fetched ideas of the naval officer Ian Fleming, aside from creating the most famous of all spies, may have actually inspired the real-life Operation Mincemeat. And the darker side of some of our more heroic stories is exposed, from the chemical castration of Alan Turing to the personal sacrifices Oleg Gordievsky made to become Britain's most successful Soviet mole.
  Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a first-time reader, this book is the perfect primer on the best-known individuals in the history of intelligence.

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  Hallelujah Junction - Composing...

  Jon Adams

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  John Adams is one of the most respected and loved of contemporary composers, and "he has won his eminence fair and square: he has aimed high, he has addressed life as it is lived now, and he has found a language that makes sense to a wide audience" (Alex Ross, The New Yorker). Now, in Hallelujah Junction, he incisively relates his life story, from his childhood to his early studies in classical composition amid the musical and social ferment of the 1960s, from his landmark minimalist innovations to his controversial "docu-operas." Adams offers a no-holds-barred portrait of the rich musical scene of 1970s California, and of his contemporaries and colleagues, including John Cage, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. He describes the process of writing, rehearsing, and performing his renowned works, as well as both the pleasures and the challenges of writing serious music in a country and a time largely preoccupied with pop culture.Hallelujah Junction is a thoughtful and original memoir that will appeal to both longtime Adams fans and newcomers to contemporary music. Not since Leonard Bernstein's Findings has an eminent composer so candidly and accessibly explored his life and work. This searching self-portrait offers not only a glimpse into the work and world of one of our leading artists, but also an intimate look at one of the most exciting chapters in contemporary culture.

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  A Knot of Ribbon - From their...

  Laurence Alma-Tadema

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  The bookshelves of British literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors.  From these Isles their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure.  Among them is Laurence Alma-Tadema.

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  Playing My Heart Out - One...

  Hillary B. Marotta

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  “A gift to our handbell community, the musical world at large, and to anyone who wants a peek behind the curtain at whatdrives passionate musicianship. Just wow!” – Brian Childers, Director of Handbells, Children and Youth Music, Myers Park UMC, author of Ringing Deeply, Devotions for Bell Ringers Part-memoir and part-love letter, Playing My Heart Out is a lighthearted, intimate look at the world of handbells and the ringers who geek out over them. From the first meet-cute story of the unlikely way the author discovered this unique art to the satisfying to-be-continued conclusion, Hillary Marotta shares funny and heart-tugging stories of the adventures and emotions handbells have led her through, and the life lessons she’s learned along the way. But this is not just a book for handbell afficionados. This is for anyone who has ever yearned to engage but has been put off by fear, lack of time, or disconnection from the soul-singing feeling pursuing a passion brings. Marotta offers her vision of the full and joyful heart we experience when we’re engaged in our passions, whatever they may be. Her invitation is simple, inspiring, and clear: Find the thing you love, make time for it in your life, and watch your joy multiply.

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  A Journey of Little Profit -...

  John Buchan

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  The Scottish novelist John Buchan enjoyed a remarkable career as politician, historian and Governor General. He was born John Buchan on 26th August 1875 and later added 1st Baron Tweedsmuir PC GCMG GCVO CH to his name.  
  Buchan studied at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, Glasgow and at seventeen won a scholarship to the University of Glasgow to study classics. There he began to write poetry. In 1895 he transferred to Oxford to continue his study of Classics and in 1896 ‘Sir Quixote of the Moors’ was published followed by the non-fiction ‘Scholar-Gipsies’. His prolific literary output now hardly faltered. 
  He graduated in 1900 and became the private secretary to Alfred Milner, the High Commissioner for Southern Africa and other colonies. Buchan found the same inspiration in the African landscape as he had in the Scottish Borders, and would later set many works here. Returning to London he became a partner in a publishing house, and garnered an editorial role at The Spectator. He also completed his law studies. He was called to the bar in 1901 but never practiced.  
  On 15th July 1907 Buchan married Susan Charlotte Grosvenor, the cousin of the Duke of Westminster. In 1910 he wrote ‘Prester John’, the first of a series set in South Africa.  
  In 1911 Buchan entered politics as a Unionist candidate in the Scottish Borders advocating the support of free trade, women’s suffrage, national insurance, and reducing the power of the House of Lords.  
  The Great War saw Buchan writing for the War Propaganda Bureau and as Times correspondent in France. In 1915, he published ‘The Thirty-Nine Steps’, his most famous book and a follow-up Richard Hannay novel, ‘Greenmantle’, in 1916.  
  In 1916 Buchan enlisted in the Intelligence Corps which included writing speeches for Sir Douglas Haig. By 1917 he was Director of Information under Lord Beaverbrook. Buchan called it “the toughest job he ever took on”. He somehow found time to assist in a history of the war magazine. This was later published in 24 volumes: Nelson’s History of the War. 
  After the war his writing focused on historical studies. In 1927 Buchan became the Unionist Party Member of Parliament for the Combined Scottish Universities. In a speech to Parliament he said “I believe every Scotsman should be a Scottish nationalist. If it could be proved that a Scottish parliament were desirable… Scotsmen should support it.”  
  Over the next decade he continued to distinguish himself politically and in literature.  On the 1st June 1935 he became 1st Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield in the County of Oxford.  
  He was now also given the position of Governor General in Canada and resolved to travel all over Canada to gain a better insight of the country. Having crossed both length and breadth he saw the cultural shift between areas and their common ground and helped bring about a clear national Canadian identity. 
  On the 6th February 1940 he collapsed from a stroke and sustained a very serious head injury in falling. Two rounds of surgery to stabilise his condition were unsuccessful and Buchan died on the 11th February. After a state funeral in Ottawa his ashes were returned to his estate in Oxfordshire.

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  René Meulensteen: United Sir...

  René Meulensteen

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  Manchester United enjoyed their greatest generation under Sir Alex Ferguson. The rulebook on domestic domination was rewritten as the club became the most successful in British football history. 
   
  For the first time, one of Ferguson’s closest aides lifts the lid on the inner workings at Carrington, as René Meulensteen, one of the game’s greatest minds, shares all the stories and secrets that contributed and illuminated the most glittering managerial era in football history. 
   
  Meulensteen’s story begins in a provincial region of Holland; a student of the game, René explains how he fought through red tape and bureaucracy to establish himself as a coach with principles he firmly believed in, and how those visionary methods saw him land a remarkable position at the world’s biggest club, overseeing the technical development of their most precious department - the youth system. 
   
  Meulensteen talks about working with stars like Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs, before he was called to work with the first team on a more permanent basis. There, he enjoyed notable contributions, transforming Cristiano Ronaldo into a goal monster and featuring heavily in the move that brought Robin van Persie to Old Trafford. From being Ferguson’s right-hand man to going out on his own, Meulensteen explains his philosophy in an inspiring and accessible way. 
   
  Moreover, this autobiography is a compelling and addictive love-letter to the fabric of everything Manchester United stands for. The exploration and explanation of United’s style of play will thrill supporters and stun analysts, as one of the sport’s greatest minds finally shares his fascinating journey in football.

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