The Nation S Favourite

Contains the top 100 poems from a poll conducted by The Bookworm in 1995.

This lovely book of poetry brings together over 100 of the most celebrated and cherished poems of the 20th century. Including poets as diverse as John Betjeman and Ted Hughes, Siegfried Sassoon and Allan Ahlberg, and subjects from all avenues of life - war, family life, love, death, religion, the countryside, animals and comedy - the whole breadth of the nation's life during the 20th century is encapsulated here. Compiled and edited by Griff Rhys Jones as part of the successful The Nations Favourite Poems series, this book brings together the wealth of new and innovative poetry styles that flourished in the 20th Century.

This wonderful anthology contains some of the nation's all-time favourite comic poetry. From much-loved classics such as Lewis Carroll's curious 'Jabberwocky' to lesser known and forgotten gems such as Gelett Burgess's 'The Purple Cow', Griff Rhys Jones takes us on a poetic tour of witty, nonsensical and plain laugh-out-loud funny poems. The selection brings together poets from every age and every walk of life, from Shakespeare to Victoria Wood and from Keats to Benjamin Zephaniah. There is Roald Dahl's cunning variation on 'Little Red Riding Hood', Spike Milligan's brilliantly ridiculous 'On the Ning Nang Nong' as well as several entries from the ever-elusive Anon, including one delightfully succint 'Peas'. Remembered, half-remembered, cherished or written on a tea towel, here are some of the nation's favourite comic poems.

Hymns powerfully express the response of Christians to the love and grace of God. They bring comfort in life’s dark days and express shared joys at times of celebration. This volume includes 40 of history’s most popular hymns, ranging from old and new, from great communal anthems to personal worship songs. Andrew Barr skillfully weaves insights into the origins and authors of each song with contemporary stories of the part they have played in people’s lives.

Bringing together 150 famous extracts from his plays, sonnets and poems, this collection offers the definitive guide to Shakespeare's work. The book also contains brief notes to accompany each extract and position it within the action of the play.

From celebrating the birth of a baby through memories of childhood recalled in later life, to the joy of friendship and the delight of finding love, there are many moments of happiness to be cherished in our lives. Arranged thematically around significant stages in our lives, poets of every age find cause for celebration in a selection of 100 popular poems: Sylvia Plath marvels at her child in "You're"; Dylan Thomas on his thirtieth birthday finds his heart singing with the joy he felt as a young boy; Shakespeare, John Donne and many others celebrate the power of love; while Walt Whitman and Anne Finch find pleasure in their solitude. Including much-loved classics and humorous, poignant and evocative verse, this delightfully upbeat collection celebrates both those smaller moments of pleasure and those that mark the major stages in our lives.

Share in fifty years of a really remarkable cat... The classic Christmas story with Mog, everyone’s favourite family cat! This funny and warm-hearted escapade comes as a stunning full-colour ebook, read by the inimitable GERALDINE MCEWAN.

In a major online poll, the BBC asked the British public to choose their 100 favourite dishes in 10 categories ranging from Comfort Food to Food of Love, and from Food for Convenience to Party Food to Outdoor Food. While many of the votes were for some of the nation's classic dishes, there were also some surprisig winners and the results will form the basis of a major 10-part BBC series that gives a fascinating insight into the way we eat today. This book accompanying the series contains recipes for all the winning dishes including modern twists on old favourites like fish and chips, full English breakfast, spaghetti bolognese and the quintessentially British scones with jam and clotted cream. The recipes are divided into themed chapters which reflect the categories of the poll and each chapter includes an introduction to explain the background to the dishes and beautiful photographs of some of the winning recipes. Accompanied by useful hints on regional variations and alternative ingredients, The Nation's Favourite Food represents a definitive guide to Britain's eating habits past and present.