Porto press ltd (Oltre 1400 risultati)

Paperback. Condizione: Good. An essential aide-memoire for those with an interest in all aspects of whisky. It is an invaluable guide for anyone wondering about the place-name on the label of a bottle of Scotch. It provides information on the meaning of the name, the language it is from, or if it is even real.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. The trials and tribulations experienced while sailing two old and tired American tugboats halfway around the world.

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. The tragedy of the loss in 1941 of two Royal Navy capital ships, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, the core of Churchill's deterrent Force Z, stunned the world. Churchill had hoped that sending a small powerful squadron of ships to Singapore would deter a threatened Japanese invasion of Malaya and Thailand. He was to be proved tragically wrong. Denuded of aircraft cover, Force Z was left disastrously exposed to air attack. Within eight days of their arrival at Singapore both ships were sunk with huge loss of life in a mass attack by 85 Japanese bombers. It was the Royal Navy's greatest loss in a single engagement and the first time a modern battleship had been sunk by air power. With the naval force at the bottom of the sea, and the RAF almost wiped out in Malaya on day one, Singapore was left with no air or sea protection and fell two months later. This is the first book to explore in detail the wrecks of these two vessels and grippingly narrates a summary of the Japanese threat, Fortress Singapore and the subsequent Japanese invasion. Today the wrecks of these two famous British warships lie on the bottom of the South China Sea, 200 miles north of Singapore and 50 miles offshore. The author was invited as a civilian expert on a military expedition to dive and survey these wrecks and now, for the first time, the wrecks are revealed as they are today. Beautifully illustrated with specially commissioned artist's illustrations of the wrecks, each one is looked at in detail. The story of the loss of these two ships, and of the sacrifice of the men who served in them, is remembered. This has been a personal quest for the author whose grandfather was serving in Singapore when Force Z arrived. His wife and the author's father and two brothers were among the last civilians evacuated from Singapore before the final siege. His grandfather was taken into internment at Changi Gaol by the Japanese and suffered there for three years until Singapore was reoccupied by the British in 1945. Had the Fall of Singapore not happened the way it did the author would not be here to write this truly remarkable book.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. The tragedy of the loss in 1941 of two Royal Navy capital ships, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, the core of Churchill's deterrent Force Z, stunned the world. Churchill had hoped that sending a small powerful squadron of ships to Singapore would deter a threatened Japanese invasion of Malaya and Thailand. He was to be proved tragically wrong. Denuded of aircraft cover, Force Z was left disastrously exposed to air attack. Within eight days of their arrival at Singapore both ships were sunk with huge loss of life in a mass attack by 85 Japanese bombers. It was the Royal Navy's greatest loss in a single engagement and the first time a modern battleship had been sunk by air power. With the naval force at the bottom of the sea, and the RAF almost wiped out in Malaya on day one, Singapore was left with no air or sea protection and fell two months later. This is the first book to explore in detail the wrecks of these two vessels and grippingly narrates a summary of the Japanese threat, Fortress Singapore and the subsequent Japanese invasion. Today the wrecks of these two famous British warships lie on the bottom of the South China Sea, 200 miles north of Singapore and 50 miles offshore. The author was invited as a civilian expert on a military expedition to dive and survey these wrecks and now, for the first time, the wrecks are revealed as they are today. Beautifully illustrated with specially commissioned artist's illustrations of the wrecks, each one is looked at in detail. The story of the loss of these two ships, and of the sacrifice of the men who served in them, is remembered. This has been a personal quest for the author whose grandfather was serving in Singapore when Force Z arrived. His wife and the author's father and two brothers were among the last civilians evacuated from Singapore before the final siege. His grandfather was taken into internment at Changi Gaol by the Japanese and suffered there for three years until Singapore was reoccupied by the British in 1945. Had the Fall of Singapore not happened the way it did the author would not be here to write this truly remarkable book.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Describes the construction and history of some of the world's most famous lighthouses. This book talks about the story of the rock lighthouse - from the day the first granite block was laid, through construction, automation, the disappearance of the lighthouse keeper, to the technology of modern times with the use of solar and wind power.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. CESM4 Carbon and Price Book has been compiled using the very latest update of the Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement (CESM4). The Price Book incorporates the newest technologies without the limitations of the form of contract or the National Standards. CESM4 updates are reflected throughout each section within the Price Book. Additionally the extent, depth and layout of vital information within the publication ensures that you can quickly and confidently achieve rapid responses to estimate requests, accurate replies to tender submissions and efficient contract administration. The continuation of embodied carbon values provides an important understanding of the carbon cost of your projects, allowing you to compile tenders with a genuinely competitive edge and realistically assess the carbon impact of your standard working practices. CESM4 Carbon and Price Book remains the most up-to-date source of price information available for the Civil Engineering Industry. …

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. CESM4 Carbon and Price Book has been compiled using the very latest update of the Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement (CESM4). The Price Book incorporates the newest technologies without the limitations of the form of contract or the National Standards. CESM4 updates are reflected throughout each section within the Price Book. Additionally the extent, depth and layout of vital information within the publication ensures that you can quickly and confidently achieve rapid responses to estimate requests, accurate replies to tender submissions and efficient contract administration. The continuation of embodied carbon values provides an important understanding of the carbon cost of your projects, allowing you to compile tenders with a genuinely competitive edge and realistically assess the carbon impact of your standard working practices. CESM4 Carbon and Price Book remains the most up-to-date source of price information available for the Civil Engineering Industry. …

Paperback. Condizione: Good. If anyone has ever wondered what happens in the engine-room when the Captain on the bridge rings 'Full Ahead' on the telegraph then this book will enlighten the reader. This is a story of one man's life at sea, from his beginnings as a lowly cadet to his qualification as a Chief Engineer. There are many anecdotes about his experiences - some amusing and some terrifying - together with pen portraits of a few of his fellow seafarers and the places he visited. In the Treacle Mine starts in the 1960s when steam power was still the preferred option for larger and more powerful ships but over the following decade, the availability of ever more powerful and more fuel-efficient, diesel engines sounded the death knell for steam propulsion. Now there are only a few preserved steamships left as a reminder of how things used to be down below in the 'treacle mine', which was how Geordie marine engineers described the engine-room. Despite the fact that steam power has disappeared from everyday use, there are still a great many enthusiasts from all walks of life who are prepared to give up their spare time to ensure that steam lives on. This dedication means that heritage steam railways, steam traction engines and even the occasional preserved steamship, can continue to operate and give pleasure to millions of visitors every year. Most of the steamships described are turbine vessels which, although lacking the visual appeal of an 'up and downer', (the term for a steam-reciprocating engine), still have a great deal that will be of interest to steam enthusiasts. Following his experiences with steam, the author eventually began working on motor ships but these were also not without incident and there is much in this book that will spark the interest of anyone who enjoys stories of the sea and seafarers.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. The trials and tribulations experienced while sailing two old and tired American tugboats halfway around the world.

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. This new edition brings the story of lighthouses in in Scotland up to date now that the task of automation is finished. Ian Cassells, a former lightkeeper, provides an account of life in the Lighthouse Service where "paraffin-oiler" was the nickname for a Scottish lightkeeper. Cassells provides detail about the lighthouses themselves, their construction and the development of the Service. Through personal reminiscences and tales from colleagues, he builds up an account of day-to-day life and the characters who were involved in this solitary occupation. He also deals with the infamous Flannan Islands mystery. Photographs highlight the locations of many of the lighthouses. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. In this new and greatly enhanced edition of his classic book, which has become the standard work on the subject, Christopher Nicholson vividly describes the construction and history to the present day of some of the world's most famous lighthouses. It brings the story of the rock lighthouse completely up-to-date - from the day the first granite block was laid, through construction, automation, the disappearance of the lighthouse keeper, right up to the technology of today with the use of solar and wind power. This new edition will be a joy to read with its mix of exciting text, some of the most dramatic new colour photographs of British lighthouses ever taken, a selection of beautiful, hand-coloured plans and drawings, a brand new chapter about Rockall, the most unusual rock 'lighthouse' of all, and a detailed appendix. For those not intimately connected with the sea, it's almost impossible to imagine waves higher than the vessels that sail upon them smashing against half-submerged reefs that stir the whole ocean into a raging foam of white water. Man's struggle to build a permanent and durable structure such as a lighthouse on these sites is a story that cannot fail to stir the emotions of anyone who enjoys tales of endeavour, ingenuity and dogged determination. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.…

Paperback. Condizione: Good. Describes the construction and history of some of the world's most famous lighthouses. This book talks about the story of the rock lighthouse - from the day the first granite block was laid, through construction, automation, the disappearance of the lighthouse keeper, to the technology of modern times with the use of solar and wind power.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. The history of a 17th-century trading vessel and its master that provides an account of shipping and trading hundreds of years ago. The "George" was probably a product of the well-established shipbuilding industry in Leith, made in the latter part of the 17th century. The book includes a wealth of information is included on topics such as the construction of the hull form and fittings, an inventory of equipment, details of the navigation instruments that were used, how the tonnage was calculated and the different types of sails. Details of the ship's expenses show the food purchased which consisted mainly of meat, beer and bread - apparently standard fare for all voyages for the master and crew! Freight such as salt and coal were carried to surprisingly diverse places as Rotterdam, London, Norway as well as more local ports. Extracts from the accounts show the cost of these journeys. One erstwhile master of the "George", James Forrester, was seized by French privateers in 1710 and held for ransom. It was only due to the efforts of his wife, Janet Johnston, that he was eventually released. This account was taken from records of an Admiralty Court case in Edinburgh that she had raised. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.…

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. CESM4 Carbon and Price Book has been compiled using the very latest update of the Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement (CESM4). The Price Book incorporates the newest technologies without the limitations of the form of contract or the National Standards. CESM4 updates are reflected throughout each section within the Price Book. Additionally the extent, depth and layout of vital information within the publication ensures that you can quickly and confidently achieve rapid responses to estimate requests, accurate replies to tender submissions and efficient contract administration. The continuation of embodied carbon values provides an important understanding of the carbon cost of your projects, allowing you to compile tenders with a genuinely competitive edge and realistically assess the carbon impact of your standard working practices. CESM4 Carbon and Price Book remains the most up-to-date source of price information available for the Civil Engineering Industry. …

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. This is the work of a man who has known and loved the Scottish Cairngorms for more than 30 years. Jim Crumley marries a poet's instincts to an uncompromising passion for the Cairngorm's arctic character, and for those wildlife tribes which thrive there. He marks nature's rhythms with thoughtful observations of bird and beast, flower and landscape. In the process he strives for a purer empathy with the wilds, seeks out the nourishing bond of man and landscape. Ultimately, the book asserts that the Cairngorms are nature's place. Crumley proposes a radical solution to safeguard the mountains from a threatening array of forces ranged against them. In his conclusion he invokes what Seton Gordon called "the spirit of the high and lonely places". The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.…

Paperback. Condizione: New. This is a mixture of folk-tale, magic, myth, love story and hymn of praise to the natural world of Scotland's high and low lands, their landscapes and creatures, and the poet-guardians who timelessly maintain their care for them. It is the legend-story of the mysterious Wanderer, who comes from the North to Striveling (Stirling) and its great Castle Rock, and the tales he tells to the five men and a woman who befriend him there. Who is this Wanderer, who seems ageless, who has profound affinities with animals and birds, who can take on the shape of swans and what is his mission to the South? Who are these friends, whose friendship becomes more, as they begin to realize that they are part of the strange, timeless and mythic destiny of a country older than civilization? What is the meaning of the unearthly love of the Wanderer and the mysterious Bella.…

Paperback. Condizione: New. This is a mixture of folk-tale, magic, myth, love story and hymn of praise to the natural world of Scotland's high and low lands, their landscapes and creatures, and the poet-guardians who timelessly maintain their care for them. It is the legend-story of the mysterious Wanderer, who comes from the North to Striveling (Stirling) and its great Castle Rock, and the tales he tells to the five men and a woman who befriend him there. Who is this Wanderer, who seems ageless, who has profound affinities with animals and birds, who can take on the shape of swans and what is his mission to the South? Who are these friends, whose friendship becomes more, as they begin to realize that they are part of the strange, timeless and mythic destiny of a country older than civilization? What is the meaning of the unearthly love of the Wanderer and the mysterious Bella.…

Hardback. Condizione: Good. A dramatic day-by-day account of the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021, the events that led to it, and the chaotic evacuation. Recounted by the last British Ambassador to Afghanistan and one of the last civilians to leave in August 2021.

Paperback. Condizione: Very Good. A novel based on the life of Bob Crumley, member of Dundee FC's 1910 Scottish Cup-winning team. The story is told through the eyes of his grandson as a series of snapshots in a family album - except the shots were never taken, for the popular goalie was an outcast from his own family. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged.…

Paperback. Condizione: New. Neil M Gunn, one of Scotland's most distinguished 20th century authors, wrote over a period of 30 years, starting in 1926 and ending in 1956 with his so-called spiritual autobiography The Atom of Delight. Two years before this he wrote his last novel, The Other Landscape, the setting being the east coast of Scotland's most northerly mainland county. This provides the perfect backdrop - a fishing hotel and its English residents, the local ghillies who served them, and a solitary white house near the cliffs in which the occupant, a man from the South, lives alone.Add to this the Major, a retired military officer-cum-diplomat, who quickly shows himself to be an insensitive and overbearing man, disdainful of his fellows and aggressive towards those who challenge his views or show any form of disrespect towards him. His paternalistic behaviour towards the local community masks a contempt for it. Life in the hotel is lightened on a more mundane level by two incidents, both directly relating to the Major - a false alarm over a drowning incident and a fire in his bedroom, both of which end happily, but with a damaging loss of face for the Major and much amusement for the guests and staff at the hotel.Juxtaposed with the sporting life at the hotel, and in a subtle way connected to it, is the fate of the solitary and bereaved occupant of the white house. The shadow of death, both present and past, hangs over the house and blends with the palette of second sight and the strong phenomenon of 'recurrence', when patterns of events inexplicably repeat themselves. The reader is thus invited to consider the realities of life and death and the inherent tragedies that are contained within them, but in the end is presented with a glimpse of hope and renewal. …

Hardback. Condizione: Good. A dramatic day-by-day account of the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021, the events that led to it, and the chaotic evacuation. Recounted by the last British Ambassador to Afghanistan and one of the last civilians to leave in August 2021.

Paperback. Condizione: new. Paperback. This is a mixture of folk-tale, magic, myth, love story and hymn of praise to the natural world of Scotland's high and low lands, their landscapes and creatures, and the poet-guardians who timelessly maintain their care for them. It is the legend-story of the mysterious Wanderer, who comes from the North to Striveling (Stirling) and its great Castle Rock, and the tales he tells to the five men and a woman who befriend him there. Who is this Wanderer, who seems ageless, who has profound affinities with animals and birds, who can take on the shape of swans and what is his mission to the South? Who are these friends, whose friendship becomes more, as they begin to realize that they are part of the strange, timeless and mythic destiny of a country older than civilization? What is the meaning of the unearthly love of the Wanderer and the mysterious Bella? This volume is a mixture of folk-tale, magic, myth, love story and hymn of praise to the natural world of Scotland's high and low lands, their landscapes and creatures, and the poet-guardians who timelessly maintain their care for them. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…

Paperback. Condizione: New. Unlike most of Gunn's novels, The Lost Chart is set in a city - the city of Glasgow and its sea approaches. The untypical choice of background for the story is not the only departure from Gunn's usual approach to his novels. The book is also a thriller. The story unfolds in a social ambience of fear and speculation within which certain sinister political forces are at work. Nuclear war is a possibility, if not a certainty. Shipping executive Dermot Cameron gets involved in a street brawl, loses the chart of the approaches to a remote Hebridean island and finds himself in a tussle between the British Secret Service and a locally-based communist fifth-column. The plot turns almost exclusively on the date of a looming crisis, and the imminence of that date pervades the thoughts and feelings of those in conflict with a locally-based sinister and elusive enemy.This timeless work, from one of the most important writers of the twentieth century, has a remarkable relevance to the events of today. When it was written in 1949 there was an uneasiness in the West regarding changes to the 'old order' of society and the decline in certain moral standards and spiritual beliefs. Today the problems facing humanity have not changed. The threatening political situations in the Far East, Middle East and Eastern Europe and the concomitant danger of nuclear warfare are all too evident. Against such a background, the way of life on the remote Hebridean island depicted by the author has an almost irresistible appeal.…

Paperback. Condizione: New. New edition. A novel set in a Highland shooting lodge, where the focus is a hunt in a remote deer forest; but this is no ordinary thriller. A shooting lodge party of wealthy English people, a team of Highland stalkers, a legendary stag to be hunted and a background of glen and corrie, shrouded from time to time by impenetrable mist. A marvellous blend of ever-changing landscape - be it light and shadow, swift transitiions from light to half light, mist, rain, tones and flowing lines - contribute to the dramatic essence of the novel. Culture and personality clashes and mystery, which portent much deeper clashes between spiritual and material values, provide a vastly enjoyable read.…

Paperback. Condizione: New. New edition. A novel set in a Highland shooting lodge, where the focus is a hunt in a remote deer forest; but this is no ordinary thriller. A shooting lodge party of wealthy English people, a team of Highland stalkers, a legendary stag to be hunted and a background of glen and corrie, shrouded from time to time by impenetrable mist. A marvellous blend of ever-changing landscape - be it light and shadow, swift transitiions from light to half light, mist, rain, tones and flowing lines - contribute to the dramatic essence of the novel. Culture and personality clashes and mystery, which portent much deeper clashes between spiritual and material values, provide a vastly enjoyable read.…

Paperback. Condizione: New. Neil M Gunn, one of Scotland's most distinguished 20th century authors, wrote over a period of 30 years, starting in 1926 and ending in 1956 with his so-called spiritual autobiography The Atom of Delight. Two years before this he wrote his last novel, The Other Landscape, the setting being the east coast of Scotland's most northerly mainland county. This provides the perfect backdrop - a fishing hotel and its English residents, the local ghillies who served them, and a solitary white house near the cliffs in which the occupant, a man from the South, lives alone.Add to this the Major, a retired military officer-cum-diplomat, who quickly shows himself to be an insensitive and overbearing man, disdainful of his fellows and aggressive towards those who challenge his views or show any form of disrespect towards him. His paternalistic behaviour towards the local community masks a contempt for it. Life in the hotel is lightened on a more mundane level by two incidents, both directly relating to the Major - a false alarm over a drowning incident and a fire in his bedroom, both of which end happily, but with a damaging loss of face for the Major and much amusement for the guests and staff at the hotel.Juxtaposed with the sporting life at the hotel, and in a subtle way connected to it, is the fate of the solitary and bereaved occupant of the white house. The shadow of death, both present and past, hangs over the house and blends with the palette of second sight and the strong phenomenon of 'recurrence', when patterns of events inexplicably repeat themselves. The reader is thus invited to consider the realities of life and death and the inherent tragedies that are contained within them, but in the end is presented with a glimpse of hope and renewal. …

Paperback. Condizione: New. Unlike most of Gunn's novels, The Lost Chart is set in a city - the city of Glasgow and its sea approaches. The untypical choice of background for the story is not the only departure from Gunn's usual approach to his novels. The book is also a thriller. The story unfolds in a social ambience of fear and speculation within which certain sinister political forces are at work. Nuclear war is a possibility, if not a certainty. Shipping executive Dermot Cameron gets involved in a street brawl, loses the chart of the approaches to a remote Hebridean island and finds himself in a tussle between the British Secret Service and a locally-based communist fifth-column. The plot turns almost exclusively on the date of a looming crisis, and the imminence of that date pervades the thoughts and feelings of those in conflict with a locally-based sinister and elusive enemy.This timeless work, from one of the most important writers of the twentieth century, has a remarkable relevance to the events of today. When it was written in 1949 there was an uneasiness in the West regarding changes to the 'old order' of society and the decline in certain moral standards and spiritual beliefs. Today the problems facing humanity have not changed. The threatening political situations in the Far East, Middle East and Eastern Europe and the concomitant danger of nuclear warfare are all too evident. Against such a background, the way of life on the remote Hebridean island depicted by the author has an almost irresistible appeal.…

Paperback. Condizione: New. In clear and utterly compelling English, this moving memoir tells the story of the agony, and the ecstasy, of one refugee - and of every refugee.  A must read for anyone interested in the triumph of Afghanistan's spirit over its seemingly endless suffering.  Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, British Ambassador to Afghanistan, 2007-2010 Flight From Afghanistan is a harrowing account of what drives a man to flee his home country in fear of his life, the trauma of refugee camps and the dangers he faces even when he reaches the sanctuary of the West. Afghans are the second largest refugee group in the world.When confronted by certain death at the point of a gun, Tella Omeri, an uneducated boy from a peasant family knew he had no alternative but to put his life in the hands of ruthless human traffickers, living on his wits and instincts. His 11-year flight, which began as a six-year- old child, is a story combining brutality with courage, hopelessness with resilience. The author asks for no pity, but in his short story he seeks to explain the motivation behind his decisions and paints a radically different picture of life in a troubled region, challenging world leaders and domestic warring factions to find a solution to the endless conflict.While thousands of refugees flee conflict and danger every day, Flight from Afghanistan shines a powerful light on what it actually means to undertake such a journey, and gives a voice to the often forgotten silent victims of the long running wars in the author's home country. Afghan refugees represent one of the world's largest protracted refugee populations. Over the past four decades, many have been forced from their homes to never see them again. Some were able to return, for a while, but had their lives upended by a fresh eruption of conflict and violence - either to be displaced elsewhere in the country, or to become refugees yet again.  Amnesty InternationalAfghanistan is the world's least peaceful country. Institute for Peace and Economics, June 2019Tella Omeri now lives in the UK as a British Citizen with his wife and children.…

PAP. Condizione: New. New Book. Shipped from UK. Established seller since 2000.

Paperback. Condizione: New. At the heart of The Silver Bough is a cairn on a knoll surrounded by standing stones. This is of professional interest to an archaeologist, around whom the story revolves. The life-enhancing qualities of the crofting family with whom he lodges and the quiet tenor of Highland life bear a curious similarity to his speculations on how 'the cairn people' lived in the distant past. His ideas spread outwards like ripples in a loch, fascinating his colleagues and giving some meaning to the life of a neighbouring landowner, who is mentally scarred from his experiences in the War. The plot of the book is imaginative and intricate, and includes the mystery of skeletons found in a cist in the cairn. As the dig proceeds, gold is discovered and then disappears. Has it been taken by the lad the archaeologist has been employing and, if so, where is it? The search is on and the standing stone claims its sacrificial victim.…