Christmas Gift Ideas
Here is a selection of Christmas Gift ideas. Each item has a link back to the Amazon.co.uk shop where you can find more information and, if you wish, buy the item.
Books
DVDs
Music
Gifts and Gadgets
Books
A History of Britain III: The Fate of Empire 1776-2001 by Simon Schama
Schama completes his three-volume history of Britain to accompany the BBC TV series. This period, 1770-2000, covers a variety of themes and key British characters. First, the "Romantic generation" turned Nature into a revolutionary force, followed by the creative Victorians seeking a better world.
What the Tudors and Stuarts Did for Us by Adam Hart-Davis
Tudor and Stuart England saw the most dramatic shifts in thinking and innovation since the Romans. It was a period that saw the emergence of Protestant churches, the increase in the power of parliament, the end of the feudal system, the development of empire, the union of Scotland and England and the emergence of some of the world's greatest scientists. Adam Hart-Davis illuminates the innovations of the period and shows how these Tudor and Stuart advancements have changed our world. Featuring demonstrations of Tudor and Stuart devices, Adam attempts to reconstruct a Tudor printing press, the first flushing toilet and to demonstrate the first stagecoach suspension, amongst many others.
Life Of Mammals
by Sir David Attenborough
David Attenborough recounts the story of 4000 species that have outlived the dinosaurs and conquered the farthest places on Earth: the mouse-sized Pioneers who lived alongside the dinosaurs; the Insect Eaters; the tool-using Root Raiders and Seed Stealers; and the Leaf Eaters.
The Life of Mammals will make a perfect gift for anyone from the age of about 10 upwards and hopefully a whole new generation will know what a kinkajou, cacomistle or a uakiri are. The only quibble is there's no further-reading list to fuel new enthusiasms lit up by this excellent book.
Sahara by Michael Palin
This work is an entertaining written account and a visual record of Michael Palin's journey across the Sahara, accompanying the major BBC TV series. The series sees him facing one of the world's greatest challenges - crossing the world's largest desert from the rock of Gibraltar to Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and beyond.
Taking on the World by Ellen MacArthur
"Physically I am totally exhausted and, mentally, not so far off. My whole body aches and I feel drained. My mind feels like it's been frozen and is trying to wake. Yesterday was the hardest challenge of my life, though funnily this morning feels ten times worse..." On 11 February 2001, Ellen MacArthur sailed into the French Atlantic port of Les Sables d'Olonne to complete the Vendee Globe, sailing's toughest race. She had beaten the odds and all the race could throw at her - storms, icy seas, exhaustion, rigging failures and, at the point she was fighting for the lead, an almost catastrophic collision with a container floating just beneath the surface. At 24 she became the youngest person ever to complete the race and the fastest woman ever to circumnavigate the globe. No Briton has ever sailed around the world faster. The scenes that greeted her return were extraordinary; hundreds of thousands of people lined the waterfront to cheer in "La Petite Anglaise" in her boat, "Kingfisher". During the race, climbing "Kingfisher's" 90-foot mast in the teeth of a storm to replace a sail felt "like clinging to a telegraph pole in an earthquake ... the closest to death I have ever been". But Ellen MacArthur never forgot that she had made a choice. She was chasing a dream. To give it any less than her all would to have been to let down everyone who believed in her and anyone for whom fate had denied the opportunity to realize their own ambitions. She knew she could never give up. This is her story so far: how, from her childhood in landlocked Derbyshire, she made it to the startline of the 2000/2001 Vendee Globe. And, told in full for the first time, it's the story of the race that catapulted her into the headlines and the nation's affections. Dramatic and deeply moving, "Taking on the World" should inspire and enthral everyone who reads it.
Rick Stein's Food Heroes: Recipes Inspired by the Champions of Good Food
by Rick Stein
Rick Stein offers over 100 new recipes, based on the best of all British produce, as well as a directory of the producers that he has met and recommends. He includes his own variations on traditional British dishes, such as "The Definitive Welsh Rarebit".
Larousse Gastronomique by Prosper Montagne
Larousse Gastronomique, the classic cookery encyclopedia, is known worldwide for its authoritative and comprehensive account of the culinary world.
Originally created by Prosper Montagne and published in 1938, Larousse Gastronomique is an invaluable source of information for the enthusiastic cook and serious gastronome alike,
whether your interest is in the mythological origins of ambrosia, or how best to use a marinade.
Revised and updated with many new entries, illustrations and charts, Gastronomique covers almost every ingredient and cooking style in history past and present, from abaisse to zuppa inglese.
Detailed information and maps of the wine producing regions of the world, includes New World producers such as Chile and Australla.
Advice on using appliances; recipes; and developments in nutrition, Larousse Gastronomique holds all the answers.
Harry Potter Paperback Box Set: Four Volumes by J.K. Rowling
This stunning four-book slipcase houses the first four titles in the Harry Potter series in paperback--Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
The perfect gift for Potter collectors, this stunning box set is also a great way to introduce anyone who has not yet been touched by the magic of the fantastical life of the most famous boy in the world. (Age 8 - adult.)
Click here for Harry Potter Adult Edition Box Set (same books, different covers and price!)
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkein
This one volume paperback edition includes the complete unabridged text of the 3 books, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, that together make up The Lord of the Rings; the Index and Appendices. This reset edition contains newly drawn maps by Stephen Raw, based on Christopher Tolkien's original maps.
The Lord of the Rings [7 Book Box set] by J.R.R Tolkein
Children now have this special seven-book box set of The Lord of The Rings to make the epic tale just that bit easier to chew on. Split into its seven constituent parts, these slim volumes tell the ageless tale of young Frodo's quest to destroy The Ring and defeat the forces of evil. It's beautifully presented in a black presentation box with the movie logo and an illustration on the side and the spines of the books also form the movie logo.
DVDs
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones [2002]
The most densely plotted instalment of the saga so far, Attack of the Clones is a tale of both Machiavellian political drama and doomed romance; it's epic war film and silly comic-book fantasy combined, as teenage Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) chafes at the restrictions imposed by his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and falls in love with Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). Renegade Jedi Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) is leading a breakaway federation of disgruntled systems threatening war; while the insidious influence of Darth Sidious is felt rather than seen as his invisible hand guides apparently unrelated events, from Jar Jar's unwitting instigation of a disastrous Senate decision to bounty hunter Jango Fett's revelatory role at the centre of the conspiracy.
Minority Report --Two Disc Set (DTS) [2002] Release date: 2 December, 2002
Minority Report on disc brings up Janusz Kaminski's wonderfully subdued cinematography in an ideal anamorphic widescreen print. John Williams's Bernard Herrmann-esque score is the major beneficiary of Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS sound options. There is no commentary, and the movie plus everything on the second disc, which contains five short featurettes and an archive of text and visual material, could probably have been squeezed onto just one disc. The featurettes are: "From Story to Screen", "Deconstructing Minority Report", "The Stunts of Minority Report", "ILM and Minority Report" and "Final Report: Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise".
Sahara
Sahara comes in at a mere four one-hour episodes and the producers were left with a huge amount of unused footage. Thus the DVD features a large selection of deleted scenes, all linked by Palin. The excellent set of extras also includes a collection of rough video diaries--mainly featuring Palin being pummelled by the elements--and an extensive interview with the presenter. The picture quality is fantastic (particularly compared to Palin's earlier series), as is the digital sound. There is a subtitle option and scene selection and the whole package is thoroughly recommended.
West Wing, The - Complete Series 1 [1999]
Aaron Sorkin's American political drama The West Wing is more than mere feel-good viewing for sentimental US patriots. It is among the best-written, sharpest, funniest and most moving American TV series of all time. In its first series, The West Wing established the cast of characters comprising the White House staff. There's Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer), a recovering alcoholic whose efforts to be the cornerstone of the administration contribute to the break-up of his marriage. CJ (Alison Janney) is the formidable Press Spokeswoman embroiled in a tentative on-off relationship with Timothy (Thirtysomething) Busfield's reporter. Brilliant but grumpy communications deputy Toby Ziegler, Rob Lowe's brilliant but faintly nerdy Sam Seaborn and brilliant but smart-alecky Josh Lyman make up the rest of the inner circle. Initially, the series' creators had intended to keep the President off-screen. Wisely, however, they went with Martin Sheen's Jed Bartlet, whose eccentric volatility, caution, humour and strength in a crisis make for such an impressively plausible fictional President that polls once expressed a preference for Bartlet over the genuine incumbent.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring [Theatrical Version] - Two Disc Set [2001]
A marvellously sympathetic yet spectacularly cinematic treatment of the first part of Tolkien’s trilogy, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the film that finally showed how extraordinary digital effects could be used to support story and characters, not simply overwhelm them. Both long-time fantasy fans and newcomers alike were simultaneously amazed, astonished and left agog for parts two and three.
Jackson’s abiding love for the source material comes across in the wealth of incidental detail (the stone trolls from The Hobbit, Bilbo’s hand-drawn maps); and even when he deviates from the book he does so for sound dramatic reasons (the interminable Tom Bombadil interlude is deleted; Arwen not Glorfindel rescues Frodo at the ford). New Zealand stands in wonderfully for Middle-Earth and his cast are almost ideal, headed by Elijah Wood as a suitably naïve Frodo, though one with plenty of iron resolve, and Ian McKellen as an avuncular-yet-grimly determined Gandalf. The set-piece battle sequences have both an epic grandeur and a visceral, bloody immediacy: the Orcs, and Saruman’s Uruk-Hai in particular, are no mere cannon-fodder, but tough and terrifying adversaries. Tolkien’s legacy could hardly have been better served.
Link to Extended Version - Four Disc Set
Music
Unbreakable: The Greatest Hits Westlife
Said to have extended their recording contract, things look set to continue for Westlife despite the "kiss of pop death" that is the greatest-hits collection. Unbreakable features the very best of their first three albums, their Top 10 hits and the lead single and title track, which was newly recorded for this album. It includes memorable covers, such as the Christmas single "I Have a Dream" by Abba, the duet of a Phil Collins song with Mariah Carey ("Against All Odds") and, like Boyzone before them who did "When the Going Gets Tough", the Comic Relief charity record "Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel. It's quite impressive that half of the songs here have hit the top spot as an A-side, making it a far more appealing album than any of their others, as there simply isn't room for the customary fillers that litter such artists' albums. So with their past encapsulated on one disc, it's time to look to the future for Westlife, although with lessons learnt from Take That's Greatest Hits, Boyzone's By Request, Steps' Gold and possibly the Backstreet Boys Greatest Hits, no one should be holding their breath.
Escapology Robbie Williams
He's tried his hand at indie-rock, big-band swing and brash pop music--so where does Robbie Williams' fifth album take the popular British entertainer? Escapology is far removed from his previous albums, it's a serious attempt to make something equally credible as it is accessible so no more bubble-gum wonders such as "Rock DJ" or "Kids". Robbie has now matured and makes adult-orientated rock or middle-of-the road pop music. Lead single "Feel" is standard adult-pop fare that one might expect from the likes of Phil Collins or David Gray; it's redeemed, however, by Robbie's noticeably heartfelt vocals--though perhaps not the best singer in the world, you can tell he means every word he sings. The highlight of Escapology is the gigantically epic ballad "Love Somebody" in which his voice is pushed to its very limits and is pitched over a lush backdrop of brooding strings and a rousing gospel choir.
A New Day at Midnight David Gray
David Gray's A New Day at Midnight is darker than its mega-hit predecessor, and deeper, and all the better for that. Emotionally fuelled by the death of Gray's father and the birth of his son, it possesses much the same tone as White Ladder, being simultaneously celebratory and troubled. The album, though, is slow starting. "Caroline", with its rattling percussion and quasi-Celtic pedal steel excursions is a bit messy, while "Long Distance Call", mixing an orchestra with electronic effects, is an interesting collage but not much of a song. Both give the impression that Gray's trying to appear more cutting-edge than he actually is. It's with "Freedom", when that big piano deepens and the pain enters his voice, that he really gets going. This leads to the excellent "Kangaroo" and "Last Boat to America", both yearning and teeming with striking lyrical images. Then it really takes off, with the Stones-y rock groove of "Real Love" and the gospel feel of "Knowhere", leading to the quite brilliant unrequited love song "Be Mine" and crushing closer "The Other Side".
Have You Fed the Fish? Badly Drawn Boy
It's hard to remember, listening to Have You Fed the Fish, that Badly Drawn Boy was once derided as lo-fi. On Damon Gough's third album, everything is writ large, his wobbly and whimsical songs transformed into bombastic epics. Finally, his much-vaunted Springsteen obsession starts making sense. For this is Gough's LA record, an extravagant conceit that really shouldn't work but, more often than not, does. Essentially, it's big music about simple things, love letters from California back home to his wife in Manchester. So when he tackles the sweet mundanities of domestic life on the title track, he plasters sentiments usually found on post-it notes across 40-foot billboards. The results are oddly moving, especially on "You Were Right", where dreams of a love triangle with Madonna and the Queen and memories of various celebrity deaths become a meditation on not taking anything for granted. Frequently, it's absurd, too: especially the crotchety funk of "Using Our Feet" and the Nilsson-ish Vaudeville of "Tickets to What You Need". Beware, though, because the grandiose production makes Gough's customarily fine songs not quite as accessible as usual--a few listens are needed before their charms cut through the flash.
Reprise Russell Watson
This item will be released on 18 November, 2002.
Gifts and Gadgets
Game Boy Advance Console - Black
Nintendo
Features :
- If this colour isn't available why not check out the GBA in GBA in clear blue, purple, white, or platinum?
- Feel the power of Game Boy Advance's 32-bit color graphics
- Bigger screen and as compact as the Game Boy Color
- The addition of L and R Buttons add increased control
- Fully compatible with all pre-existing Game Boy and Game Boy Color games
