Organized chronologically by type, German Tanks of World War II expertly examines the variety of armored fighting vehicles employed in the invasions of Poland, France, the Low Countries, and Stalingrad, as well as in North Africa under Field Marshall Rommel, the Normandy campaign of 1944, and at the Battle of the Bulge. The guide also covers flame-throwing half-tracks, tank destroyers, Marder III self-propelled guns, and Hummel self-propelled howitzers. Each of the 120 featured artworks displays authentic markings and color schemes, while the separate models include exhaustive specifications. This is a key reference guide for military modelers and World War II enthusiasts.

The War in Ukraine is being fought using tanks, aircraft, and artillery dating from the Cold War deployed alongside state-of-the-art weapons systems supplied by Western powers. Arranged chronologically by type, the book offers a complete survey of the weapons deployed, from the venerable Ilyushin Il-76 strategic airlifter and T-64 medium tank to the latest American-made M142 HIMARS rocket artillery and the Bayraktar TB2 combat drone. It is illustrated with accurate profile artworks of fighter aircraft, bombers, attack helicopters, tanks, APCs, artillery systems, missile launchers, and unmanned aerial vehicles from Russian, NATO, Turkish, and other sources. Illustrated with more than 100 detailed artworks, Aircraft, Tanks & Artillery of the Ukraine War is an essential reference guide for those who want to understand the war being fought in Europe today.

Illustrated with more than 250 outstanding photographs, Wild Animals presents an in-depth look at the natural world's most deadly, endangered or just plain strange creatures, from poisonous spiders to aggressive caimans and man-eating sharks. The selection spans a broad spectrum of wildlife, from large carnivores such as the grizzly bear and great white shark to smaller creatures such as the kiwi, elephant beetle and sea spider. Each of the world's habitats is covered, with examples carefully drawn from every region of the planet - from the majestic lion of the African plains and the polar bear of the Arctic wastes, to the Komodo dragon of Southeast Asia, whose saliva carries poisonous bacteria that can kill a person in hours. Featuring around 175 species, each photographic entry is supported with a fascinating caption, explaining how the animal manages to be so deadly. Beautifully presented, this accessible book is a wonderful introduction to some of the planet's most fascinating wild creatures.

The Encyclopedia of Warfare is an authoritative compendium of almost five millennia of war. From battles fought with spears to the latest drone technology, the book features an immense range of conflict. Each war narrative, where appropriate, includes descriptions of its campaigns, battles, and sieges. All this is easily accessed via an extensive index. Featuring more than 600 full-color maps created specifically for this volume, The Encyclopedia of Warfare is written in a style accessible to both the student and the general enthusiast and reflects the latest thinking among military historians.

The bond between birds of prey and humans is a primal relationship that has existed for many thousands of years. Working with hunting birds is still integral to many cultures, and falconry is again popular today as humans seek a more meaningful relationship with nature.

The foundations of falconry lie within the bond between falconer and bird, which is rooted in the bird's natural survival instincts and its feeling safe in that relationship.

Falconry offers the novice falconer a compact, illustrated introduction to the art and practice of falconry. Illustrated with more than 300 images, many of which provide precise step-by-step instructions, the book teaches the enthusiast how to familiarize a bird through 'manning', building a bond with a bird, training with a lure, training using a glove, managing a bird's diet and weight, hooding, and free flight training, among many other skills and techniques.

Illustrated with 300 photographs that will instruct and inspire, Falconry is a fascinating pictorial celebration of this craft which dates back to as early as 2,000 BC.

Picture-book beautiful, Amsterdam is one of the great cities of Europe and a feature on every traveller's bucket list - for its unique concentric canal system dating from the 17th century, its vibrant nightlife, fascinating museums, and cosmopolitan, feelgood atmosphere. There are few major cities in the world that are so comfortable for exploring on foot or by bicycle, with every corner turned revealing new wonders. In the pages of Amsterdam, see Dam Square, the heart of the city and home of the Royal Palace (Koninklijk Palace); discover the Vondelpark, the city's main green space and dotted with ponds and paths; stroll the streets of the Jordaan, the city's liveliest neighbourhood and home to garden courtyards, lively markets and upscale eateries; learn about the Anne Frank Museum, dedicated to the Holocaust victims of the city; and explore the Albert Cuyp covered market, where you can buy cheese, caramel waffles ('stroopwafels') and herrings from the North Sea. Presented in a handy, pocket-sized landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each photo, Amsterdam is a stunning collection of images bringing to life the vitality of this iconic European city.

Steam trains half-buried in the desert, roller coasters entangled in trees, hulks of ships perched high and dry miles from water - images like these are bound to make us wonder: what happened here?
From forgotten railway stations to flooded shopping malls, from secret Cold War bunkers to radiation zones, Abandoned Places explores more than 100 fascinating lost worlds from all around the globe. Surveying the ruins of industrial sites and military bases, ghost towns, holiday resorts and airports, the book explains the story of how each place came to be abandoned - whether through natural or chemical disaster, war, economic collapse, or changing tastes and customs. Throughout, though, a picture emerges, not only of what has been lost, but of what remains. Left to the elements but ignored by humanity, these ramshackle settlements and dilapidated structures illuminate times and designs that we thought were long gone.
With 150 outstanding colour photographs exploring hauntingly beautiful locations, Abandoned Places is a brilliant and moving pictorial examination of worlds we have left behind.

Water covers over two-thirds of the Earth, which is why we call it the 'blue planet'. Tropical seas are most known for their coral reefs which provide a rich ecosystem for marine life, offering food and shelter among their crevices and branches for animals including fishes, molluscs, sea urchins and sponges. Some estimates report the world's oceans are home to 20,000 species of fish. Ocean fishes come in all shapes and sizes, and live in drastically different depths and temperatures. Our understanding of ocean life has changed dramatically in the last decade, with new species, new behaviours, and new habitats being discovered at a rapid rate. Explore coral reefs that shimmer in a kaleidoscope of vibrant tones. Venture to the bottom of the ocean where creatures beyond your wildest imagination live in the dark. With stunning photography, Tropical Fish is a gorgeous celebration of the warmest parts of our watery world and the marvellous creatures that call it home.

The Tank Warfare Illustrated Atlas is a highly illustrated and accessible account of the development of tank warfare, from World War I to the present day. Featuring more than 120 complex computer-generated battle maps and graphics, the book ranges from the first significant use of tanks at Cambrai during World War I through to major tank battles of World War II, the Indo-Pakistan War, the Arab-Israeli Wars, the Iran-Iraq War, the Allied invasions of Iraq in 1991 and 2003, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. All the maps have been specially commissioned from an expert cartographer. Each map has been designed to highlight a particular aspect of combat and so they vary in shape and size - from isometric to semi-circular and full-page to double-spread - and in outlook, with some maps giving a global perspective while others take a narrow focus. Major battles such as Villers-Bretonneux, Amiens, Kursk and the Golan Heights are shown in great detail. All maps are accompanied by a key, which helps the reader to understand the action and events. With extensively researched text telling the history and the stories behind these battles concisely and clearly and more than 150 striking illustrations and photographs, the Tank Warfare Illustrated Atlas provides an invaluable work of reference for both the general reader and the serious student of tank warfare.

Forests cover a third of our planet's land mass. They are home to more than three-quarters of the world's species. They absorb a quarter of the carbon dioxide that industries pump into the air. Their existence supports human life. We both treasure them and waste them. Illustrated with more than 180 photographs, Forests is a pictorial exploration of an ancient ecosystem that covers four billion hectares of the Earth's surface and whose maintenance is crucial to human survival. Divided into chapters by continent and arranged by country, Forests examines diverse forest environments, including: the weird and distinctive Dragon's Blood Forest, Socotra, Yemen; the Borneo rainforest, home to more than 15,000 plant species, 380 bird species and the famous orangutan, or jungle man; the Crooked Forest near Nowe Czarnowo, Poland, where a grove of oddly-shaped pine trees have a mysterious origin; Cathedral Grove, an ancient Douglas fir ecosystem 9m (29ft) in circumference and 75m (250ft) in height on Vancouver Island in British Columbia; and the ancient German Black Forest, a place imbued with history and legend since ancient times. With more than 180 outstanding photographs of forests and their flora and fauna, Forests will excite and captivate those who love exploring the world's woodland environments.

For 150 million years, dinosaurs were the undisputed rulers of the Earth. Today, these great lizards still fire our imaginations. Dinosaurs describes the creatures who lived during the great Age of Reptiles, the real-life giants and monsters such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Stegosaurus who once dominated our planet.
This stunningly illustrated and accessible reference work features the most impressive and formidable dinosaurs to have been discovered. The entries are arranged by chronological period, running from the Triassic period through to the late Cretaceous, and each entry is illustrated throughout with full-colour annotated artworks. Each of the dinosaur features also includes information boxes containing key facts and figures. The text, using the latest palaeontological research, outlines how the dinosaurs lived and died.
Readers will discover the fantastic, extraordinary and outlandish types of dinosaurs that once roamed the Earth - making Dinosaurs essential reading, not only for dinosaur enthusiasts, but for anyone intrigued by nature at its most majestic.

Describing the most intriguing creatures on the planet, from the big cats of Africa to the apes that are our closest evolutionary ancestors and the whales and dolphins that roam the world's oceans, Animals profiles over 400 of the world's most fascinating species, offering a truly comprehensive overview of animals from every continent and giving a sense of the incredible diversity of animal types.
Featured animals are grouped by order, then within each order by family; each family section contains examples of the key species, which are illustrated with beautifully detailed, full-colour artworks. For easy reference, each entry includes a table of information on scientific name, order and family, features, habitats, distribution, diet and breeding, as well as informative maps and detailed box features.
Packed full of information and colour, Animals is guaranteed to appeal to any budding zoologist or animal enthusiast.

Discover every corner of Venice in this remarkable collection of spectacular colour photography that showcases Venice's magical beauty and hidden gems, from the Piazzo San Marco to the island of Giudecca, the banks of the Grand Canal to the Arsenal district. Venice is the ultimate showcase of the city's bustling streets and canals. Every fascinating detail of the sprawling streets is revealed, from the splendor of its palaces, the beauty of its piazzettas, the romanticism of its bridges and canals, the delights of its gastronomy, the charm of its sestieri--the districts that make up the city of the Doges-- and the wealth of its museums and its arts and crafts. Presented in a pocket-sized landscape format and with captions explaining the story behind each photo, Venice is a stunning collection of images bringing to life the wonder of this historic European city.

The theater comes in many forms. Originating in the more rigid and repeated (but no less attractive) designs of Greek and Roman theaters, the buildings that now house our shared cultural output boast some of the finest, most creative structures in the world. Whether they are huge and cathedral-like or modest, concrete and futuristic, or neo-Renaissance, the physical constructions themselves capture the ambition of the arts performed within. With chapters organized by continent and featuring theaters and opera houses--and any space devoted to the performing arts--from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and Australasia, Amazing Theaters of the World includes modern masterpieces and ancient remains, art deco delights and Baroque classics, taking in centuries of theater building. Both the exterior and the interior of buildings are examined, with behind-the-scenes shots of dressing rooms and a look at the mechanics of putting on a show. In so doing, we catch a glimpse of how the performing arts and their homes have evolved over time.

At the outbreak of hostilities in 1939, many of the aircraft in service with Britain and Commonwealth countries were outdated, and the RAF had to urgently expand production of the new types, such as the superb Supermarine Spitfire fighter and twin-engined de Havilland Mosquito. British & Commonwealth Fighter Aircraft of World War II is a detailed guide to all the fighter types deployed by the RAF, RAAF, RCAF and RNZAF from 1939 to 1945. Organised chronologically by type, this book includes all-time classics, such as the Hawker Hurricane fighter that was so crucially effective during the Battle of Britain; the highly-adaptable Bristol Beaufighter, which was deployed as a torpedo bomber, night-fighter and maritime patrol aircraft; the Supermarine Spitfire, Britain's most accomplished World War II fighter and one of the greats of all time; and the Curtiss Kittyhawk fighter-bomber, a stalwart of the North African campaign. The guide is illustrated with profile artworks and three-views, as well as two-page dynamic artworks of some of the key aircraft in service, such as the rocket-armed Hawker Typhoon that menaced German communications during the Normandy campaign. Illustrated with more than 100 authentic artworks with accurate markings and camouflage, British & Commonwealth Fighter Aircraft of World War II is an essential reference guide for modellers and military aviation enthusiasts.

No single human invention has changed the nature of war more that the development of the aeroplane. Air Warfare Illustrated Atlas is a highly illustrated and accessible account of the development of aerial warfare, from the first skirmishes over the Western Front in World War I to today's hi-tech netcentric aerial battlespace over Ukraine. Developing from unpowered observation hot air balloons in the 18th century and even the older kite, aerial warfare has become a multibillion-dollar industry and has led to many advances in technology and techniques such as aerodynamics, propulsion, radar and use of composites and engineered materials such as carbon fibre. Featuring more than 120 complex computer-generated battle maps and graphics, Air Warfare Illustrated Atlas explores every major air battle to have taken place in the world's skies, as well as documenting the air element of campaigns such as Operation Barbarossa and Operation Desert Storm. Extensively researched text tells the history and the stories behind these battles concisely and clearly, alongside more than 150 striking archive photographic images.