Whether as sources of joy and pleasure to be fed, counted, and watched, as objects of sport to be hunted and killed, or as food to be harvested, wild birds evoke strong feelings. Sean Nixon traces the transformation of these human passions for wild birds from the early twentieth century through the 1970s, detailing humans’ close encounters with wild birds in Britain and the wider North Atlantic world. Drawing on a rich range of written sources, Passions for Birds reveals how emotional, subjective, and material attachments to wild birds were forged through a period of pronounced social and cultural change. Nixon demonstrates how, for all their differences, new traditions in birdwatching and conservation, field sports, and bird harvesting mobilized remarkably similar feelings towards birds. Striking similarities also emerged in the material forms that each of these practices used to bring birds closer to people – hides and traps, nets and ropes, and binoculars. Wide ranging in scope, Passions for Birds sheds new light on the ways in which wild birds helped shape humans throughout the twentieth century, as well as how birds themselves became burdened with multiple cultural meanings and social anxieties over time.

Tricky maneuvers, curious passengers, and other kinds of turbulence The star DJ who spontaneously invites the entire flight crew to his concert in Rome, the businessman who has his forgotten cigars flown in by private jet, and the oil millionaire who has the stewardesses crawl through the cabin on all fours to the sound of Pavarotti arias—there's nothing that Pilot Patrick has not experienced in his job. Germany's most famous airline captain takes us on a joyride to the most beautiful places in the world, telling us how he made his dream of flying come true, what really helps against the fear of flying, and what you should consider if you want to become a pilot yourself. From wild party nights on the Côte d?Azur to sex above the clouds, Pilot Patrick gives us an exclusive look behind the normally closed doors of the international jet set—and reveals a secret that, until now, has always flown below the radar.

From the dark fairy tale forests of Russia... To the steamy intrigues of a Hong Kong opium den... From ancestral secrets long hidden in a Paris mansion... To the rolling, bloody hills of Ireland during the Troubles... Meticulously researched and brilliantly written, this, the third book in Cindy Brandner's magnificent Exit Unicorns series continues the story of Casey and Pamela Riordan, Pat Riordan and Jamie Kirkpatrick. Trapped by circumstance and the events of his past in the USSR, Jamie Kirpatrick struggles to survive in a hostile environment where not all is as it seems, and blood bonds are forged with enemies in order to survive. In Ireland, Pamela and Casey Riordan attempt to live a normal life amidst deceit, betrayal and an unofficial war that claims more than just blood. Bequeathed a legacy by Jamie Kirkpatrick, they struggle to keep an empire intact but cannot know the surprises that await them. Flights of Angels is not only historical fiction, but equal parts political thriller, love story and fairy tale. Richly embroidered with lush imagery, spanning continents and vastly different cultures, this is an epic tale of country and the turnings of the human heart.