Oysters are older than us older than grass. They have been present at every turn of human history. They have inspired great writers painters cooks sustained whole communities & fashioned legend & history. Their pearls have funded empires & caused the invention of modern-day slavery. The evidence oysters leave behind shows us there was a seafaring empire along Western Europe before the Romans & that the world was colonised not west to east but south to north. We were not cavemen at all but covemen exploring the world along the coastlines because oysters were a sign of a safe & healthy marine economy. Besides being an unusual species in themselves oysters provide a fascinating insight into how the world has evolved. From pleasure pearls politics piracy piety & poverty this book will reveal a whole array of incredible facts you never knew before. ...

In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Dorothy & her faithful dog Toto find themselves far from home in a strange land called Oz after their Kansas house is swept away by a cyclone. Here they meet the Munchkins & join the Scarecrow Tin Woodman & the Cowardly Lion on an unforgettable journey to the Emerald City where the all-powerful Wizard of Oz lives. Can he help Dorothy return home? In The Marvellous Land of Oz a young boy named Tip escapes from a witch & sets out to explore land of Oz. Along the way he meets the Scarecrow & Tin Woodman as well as some new friends like Jack Pumpkinhead & the Wooden Sawhorse. Eventually Tip's journey takes him to the Emerald City where he realizes that his life will be changed forever. In Ozma of Oz Dorothy is sailing to Australia when a huge storm washes her overboard. She only survives by clinging to a chicken crate. Eventually she & a yellow hen named Billina wash up on the magic shore of Ev where they meet the mechanical man Tik Tok. But Dorothy & Billina are taken prisoner by the evil Nome King who has captured the royal family of Ev. Only Ozma of Oz can save them but will she be in time? ...

In The Patchwork Girl of Oz the Munchkins Unc Nunkie & Ojo the Unlucky call on the Crooked Magician who introduces them to his latest creation: a living girl made out of patchwork quilts & cotton stuffing. But when an accident leaves beloved Unc Nunkie a motionless statue it is up to Ojo to save him. As he searches for the magic ingredients that will restore his uncle to life Ojo wonders if the mighty Wizard of Oz can help? In Tik-Tok of Oz Betsy Bobbin & her loyal mule Hank wash up on the shores of an unknown fairyland during a storm. There they meet the clockwork man Tik-Tok & find themselves trapped in a battle with the king of the Nomes. In The Scarecrow of Oz Capn Bill & Trot journey to Oz & with the help of the Scarecrow overthrow the cruel King Krewl of Jinxl&. ...

In Rinkitink in Oz Prince Inga of Pingaree must rescue his parents & all of the subjects from his kingdom who were kidnapped by marauders form Regos & Coregos. Prince Inga along with the visiting King Rinkitink & Bilbil the goat set off on a series of grand adventures that will lead them to the underground kingdom of the Nome King. Will Ingas bravery & courage be enough to save his parents & all of their subjects? In The Lost Princess of Oz Ozma the beloved ruler of Oz has disappeared so Dorothy the Wizard the Cowardly Lion & a band of friends must search the vast land of Oz to find her. In The Tin Woodman of Oz Tin Woodman Woot the Wanderer & Captain Fyter set off on a quest to find the lovely Munchkin Nimmie Amee. Once upon a time she & the Woodman were going to marry but then the Wicked Witch of the West turned him to tin. Can the Tin Woodman find Nimmie Amee? & will she remember him? ...

In The Magic of Oz the mischievous Kiki Aru has discovered a magical word can transform him & anyone else into whatever Kiki demands. Worse yet Kiki has been recruited by the villainous Nome King in his latest attempt to get revenge on Princess Ozma & all her friends. Can Dorothy & the Wizard stop the evil-doers before they conquer Oz? Or will Kikis incredible powers finally give the Nome King the revenge he has craved for so long? In Glinda of Oz Dorothy & Ozma journey to a remote part of Oz to stop a war between the Flatheads & the Skeezers. But the Flatheads & Skeezers have a different idea. Soon Ozma & Dorothy are trapped in an amazing crystal-domed city on an enchanted isl&. The watertight city submerges itself & only the Wizard & Glinda can save our heroes but will they make it in time? In The Royal Book of Oz the Scarecrow goes to search for his family roots. He returns to the cornfield where Dorothy first found him & discovers that he is the Long Lost Emperor of the Silver Isl&. Will he decide to stay there? Or will he return to Oz? ...

Oz Clarke Britains favourite wine writer & broadcaster is absolutely in tune with what wine drinkers want today
- flavour individuality
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Refreshingly witty & readable guide to the worlds most famous wine region. Every producer in the world with ambitions to make great red wine still looks to Bordeaux for inspiration & the region is brought to life by Oz with his evocative descriptions & personal anecdotes accompanied by stunning photographs & maps. Oz turns his spotlight on each of the famous Bordeaux wine areas (including St-Emilion Pomerol Margaux & Pauillac). He also recommends hundreds of affordable modern Bordeaux wines for drinking today. Returning to his wine roots Oz shows how whatever crises may be affecting the French wine industry in general & the lower end of the market in particular Bordeaux is on the whole in optimistic mode. However much we now appreciate wine from all over the world there is still nothing quite as magical as the best bottles from the best producers in this historic wine region. There is no better introduction to the worlds most dazzling wine region. Decanter A well-planned well-executed approachable book packed with information & illustrations. The Sunday Times ...

Oz Clarke Britains favourite wine writer & broadcaster is absolutely in tune with what wine drinkers want today
- flavour individuality
...

Approaching wine through grapes is in tune with the way consumers now think & learn about wine. This is the definitive up to date guide to the worlds greatest grapes & the wines they make
- the history the places the people the wine styles & the flavours. Highly acclaimed winner of the Lanson Wine Book of the Year award Grapes & Wines has been updated to make it once again a helpful thorough & very readable guide to the worlds most interesting wines & grapes.
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Small-time circus magician Oscar Diggs' life suddenly changes when he's hurled away in a hot air balloon from uneventful Kansas into the enchanting Land of Oz. The inhabitants there see Oscar as the Great Wizard & they shower him with the fame & fortune he has always imagined would be his. That is until three very powerful witches start to question Oscar's abilities. Drawn into an increasingly dangerous world Oscar must quickly figure out who is good & who is evil in order to combat the wicked forces at large. Putting his limited magical arts to use through illusion ingenuity
- & even a bit of wizardry
- Oscar transforms himself not only into the great & powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

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