Chris Davies

China was the last country in the world to manufacture and operate steam locomotives. By the early 1980s, there were an estimated 10,000 operational steam locomotives in the country, but by the 1990s, diesel and electric locomotives started to replace them on the main lines and the number in service reduced substantially as the millennium approached. The last steam locomotives were finally withdrawn from China Rail in 2003. After that, some continued to operate heavy freight trains on local railways for a short while, but most were deployed for use on the country’s industrial railways, mainly at coal mines and steel works. This trend continued into the first decade of the 21st century, but subsequently, the number of steam engines in service declined substantially and were confined to just a handful of industrial locations. Steam rail operations in China are now facing extinction. The modernization of the railways with the switch from steam to diesel, the closure of unsafe and loss-making collieries and China’s drive to reduce pollution and combat climate change from burning coal, have all conspired towards the demise of the industrial lines operating steam in China. This book looks at the last of the standard-gauge steam operations in China, including Sandaoling, the last steam-worked opencast coal mine in the world; Fuxin, a coal-mining city in Liaoning Province, which until recently, operated the largest surviving fleet of SY locomotives; Baiyin, in Gansu Province, which operated some of the last steam-hauled passenger trains in the world; and Wu Jiu, a remote coal-mining outpost in Inner Mongolia. Beautifully illustrated with over 120 color photographs and a description of the operations, this is a striking portrait of the last of the world’s operating steam trains.

China

The World's Last Steam Trains

TAKE A LOOK INTO THE RICH HISTORY OF ENGLISH FOOTBALL AND THE GRAND OLD NAME OF CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB WILL INEVITABLY ENJOY MORE THAN A PASSING MENTION. AND AFTER A FRUSTRATING SEASON WHICH SAW THE CLUB FINISH TANTALISINGLY CLOSE TO WINNING THE PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE, THE SUMMER OF 2014 WITNESSED THE ARRIVAL OF A NEW STAR IN WEST LONDON.Fresh from an outstanding season in Spain, where his thirty-six goals had propelled Atlético Madrid to a first La Liga title since 1996 and to within seconds of a maiden Champions League crown, Diego Costa arrived at Stamford Bridge for ?32 million.Brazilian by birth, Costa had caused an enormous wave of controversy in his homeland after opting to take Spanish citizenship and a subsequent place in Spain’s squad over the opportunity to represent the Seleç?o in a home World Cup in 2014.An early exit for Spain ensued but, undeterred, Costa arrived in the English capital tasked by manager Jose Mourinho with scoring the goals that had eluded many of his predecessors the previous season. And with a Premier League record of seven goals in his first four starts he took to the physical nature of England’s top division with typical aplomb.Costa began his nomadic rise to the top via the lower echelons of Portuguese and Spanish football, before establishing himself as a force under Diego Simeone’s rejuvenated Atléti. Affectionately nicknamed ‘El Cholo’, ‘the Beast’, his pace, power, aggression and deadly finishing have swiftly seen him become a crowd favourite at ‘the Bridge’.Diego Costa: ‘The Beast’ is an in-depth look into the life of this spectacular footballer and his rise to the very top.

Diego Costa - The Beast

Sonia Livingstone

John Coleman

This book examines the presence and effects of new technologies in the lives of young people. The rapid pace of change in the development and use of digital technologies, and the likely impact this has on youth, means that the topic has wide implications for educational institutions, theory and practice. There is a demand for a concentration on the ways in which new devices such as smart phones and tablets, as well as new platforms and recent notions such as the ‘flipped classroom’, are affecting the way education is being provided. However, there is also still a small minority who do not have full access to the internet, and the disadvantages suffered by this group must also be addressed. The internet offers a vast range of opportunities for young people, and yet for various reasons it is not always available. This can partly be attributed to the controls that schools impose on the use of digital technology, for reasons of safety and security, and can in part be explained by the fact that policy makers have contradictory attitudes to technology. While they may argue for the need to have a well-educated and well-trained workforce, they fear the threats to privacy and safety posed by the internet. This book asserts that society needs to have more open debate about the threats and opportunities of digital technology as it is a dynamic and ever-changing topic for us all. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Oxford Review of Education.

Digital Technologies in the Lives of Young People

Following the release of Ridley Scott's Gladiator in 2000 the ancient world epic has experienced a revival in studio and audience interest. Building on existing scholarship on the Cold War epics of the 1950s-60s, including Ben-Hur, Spartacus and The Robe, this original study explores the current cycle of ancient world epics in cinema within the social and political climate created by September 11th 2001. Examining films produced against the backdrop of the War on Terror and subsequent invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, this book assesses the relationship between mainstream cinema and American society through depictions of the ancient world, conflict and faith. Davies explores how these films evoke depictions of the Second World War, the Vietnam War and the Western in portraying warfare in the ancient world, as well as discussing the influence of genre hybridisation, narration and reception theory. He questions the extent to which ancient world epics utilise allegory, analogy and allusion to parallel past and present in an industry often dictated by market forces. Featuring analysis of Alexander, Troy, 300, Centurion, The Eagle, The Passion of the Christ and more, this book offers new insight on the continued evolution of the ancient world epic in cinema.

Allegory and Warfare in Contemporary Hollywood

Blockbusters and the Ancient World

Almost Forgotten: The Search for Aviation Accidents in Northumberland

'The Rules of Engagement' is a raw and gripping novel that grabs you hard around the collar, pulls you in and doesn't let go, exploring friendship during the toughest of times.Jamie, known affectionately as 'Taz', plays rugby league for his local team on a Saturday. But he struggles to forget his ex-girlfriend, and his life starts to crumble. As he falls into a deep depression, his teammates step up in an effort to pull him out.

Rules of Engagement

Rebecca Eynon

The popular media often presents a negative picture of young people and technology. From addiction to gaming, the distractions of the Internet, to the risks of social networking, the downsides of new technology in the lives of teenagers are often over-blown. Teenagers and Technology presents a balanced picture of the part played by technology in the lives of young people. Drawing on extensive interviews conducted over several years, this book offers a timely and non-sensational exploration of teenagers' experiences and opinions about the digital technologies they use, desire and dislike. The book covers a range of topical subjects including: Social networking and online engagement in the wider social world Building online self-identity and group membership Technology in the home Developing technology skills in support of learning Drawing on technological resources in the journey towards adulthood. Grounded in what young people actually say about using new technology in their daily lives, Teenagers and Technology presents a picture in which young people have in some respects a unique relationship to technology, but one that is actually not exceptional or of a completely different order to how people in general relate to it. By providing a nuanced view on the topic, Teenagers and Technology counters the extreme accounts of 'digital youth', and exaggerated anxieties created by the mass media. It will be of interest to students and academics working in the fields of adolescent and Internet studies, along with education professionals, practitioners, teenagers and their parents.

Teenagers and Technology

The Rules of Engagement

Chris Davies is acknowledged to be Britain's foremost graduate coach. He founded his company, Graduate Coach, seven years ago and, since then, has kick-started the careers of over 300 graduates. As a result, Amazon, Aviva, Bloomberg, Coca-Cola, Deloitte, Facebook, Goldman Sachs, Google, JP Morgan Lloyds Bank and many other blue chip companies count Chris's alumni among their employees. So, too, do organisations such as Network Rail and the NHS. Before Graduate Coach, Chris pursued two other careers, in magazine publishing and advertising and marketing. In both cases, Chris built successful enterprises from scratch.

The Student Book

British and American Hit Singles gives a complete listing of the top 40 hits in both countries in the years 1946 to 1997. Hit records are listed in alphabetical order by artist and these entries also include the first dates of release. The book also includes all million sellers since the early 1900s - including sheet music as well as records.

51 Years of Transatlantic Hits, 1946-1997

British and American Hit Singles

""It's a tough world out there for graduates--and students definitely know it. As a result, we're seeing more and more that they're preparing for post-graduation life early. The Student Book and The Graduate Book are invaluable resources, showing them exactly how to get ahead of the game whilst still at uni, and what to do if they've left their career planning until the very last minute! From a real-life success story, it offers crucial advice in an engaging and light-hearted way. An essential wherever you are in your university career or graduate job search!"" Lucy Miller, Senior Editor - The National Student ""We talk and interview with literally thousands of students every year and less than 5% of them really know what they need to do to land that vital first job. These books should be compulsory reading for every student and new graduate. We highly recommend it."" Jack Catherall, Managing Director Wiser Elite and Wiser Digital.

Chris Davies

About

Books

Join the club