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The vignettes in these fresh, searing short stories, closely examine the complex male life. From a predatory act during a cross-country run in Fiordland to a doomed diving trip off Wellington's south coast, this collection combines emotional urgency with a surprising dose of humor to a great range of worlds. The result is a startlingly candid portraiture of the modern man.
A young father high on Ritalin longs to leap into the tiger enclosure. A teacher who has been stood down for accessing porn on a school computer wants to re-establish contact with his teenage daughter. A carer out on a day trip is desperate to find a working toilet for his adult charge.What Sort of Man is a potent collection of stories that goes head to head with the crisis of contemporary masculinity, and is as exhilarating as it is harrowing. 'These are finely focused stories, done with the confidence of a writer who knows precisely what he wants to show, and how to show it. Their telling, and their method of telling, is confidently his own.' —Vincent O'Sullivan, Landfall Review Online'Life is a series of isolations, now more than ever, and the way that Dukes captures, with photo-perfect detail, the soul of a person in isolation, is not just excellent, but relevant. We’re not at our most alone when we’re not around other people, we’re at our most alone when we can’t even sit with ourselves.' —Sam Brooks, The Spinoff
First Published in 1997. This is a case study of changing land-use patterns in Brittany over nearly 2000 years.
A long history of the Bretons, from prehistoric times to the present, and the very close relationship they have had with their British neighbours. It is a story of a fiercely independent people and their struggle to maintain their distinctive identity.
Empty Bones is weightlifting, infidelity, drunk driving, facelifts and childbirth it s a family and their weekend reunion. It is Lisbon to Madrid on the night train and Auckland to Wellington on a motorbike. It is the end, the beginning and the gristly in between. Empty Bones is a novella accompanied by five equally raw, intense and comical short stories, from the author of the acclaimed Bird North. Wow. Breton Dukes BIRD NORTH is a knockout. Brilliantly intense book. Emily Perkins, Twitter Roddy Doyle is a hard act to follow, but in Bird North New Zealand author Breton Dukes does it with a gritty and sometimes disturbing collection of stories. Ian Williams, Otago Daily Times Confidant, nuanced and unselfconsciously local, this is an accomplished debut. Sam Finnemore, NZ Listener Breton Dukes lives with his wife in Kaikorai Valley, Dunedin. He is a telephonist for the government. His interests include rabbit shooting, tenting and cookery. Cover: Dylan Horrocks"
Monarchy is an enduring institution that still makes headlines today. It has always been preoccupied with image and perception, never more so than in the period covered by this volume. The collection of papers gathered here from international scholars demonstrates that monarchical image and perception went far beyond cultural, symbolic and courtly display – although these remain important – and were, in fact, always deeply concerned with the practical expression of authority, politics and power. This collection is unique in that it covers the subject from two innovative angles: it not only addresses both kings and queens together, but also both the medieval and early modern periods. Cons...
This dramatic history traces the mysterious Celts from their dark origins, including Druids and King Arthur, right across Britain and Europe and looking at their beliefs, cultures and arts as well as their warring and expansion. The resurgence of Celtic identity in Britain and Europe has revitalized interest in Celtic history. At the same time, developments in genetics and archaeology have led to it becoming an arena of serious controversy. John Hayward explores the changing identity of Europe's Celtic speaking peoples through history, both as they saw themselves and as others saw them. Covering continental Europe, Britain and Ireland, and the present day Celtic global diaspora, this is a vibrant and meticulously researched account.
THE regard which every one has for the old French provinces is by no means inexplicable. Out of them grew the present solidarity of republican France, but in spite of it the old limits of demarcation are not yet expunged. One and all retain to-day their individual characteristics, manners, and customs, and also a certain subconscious atmosphere. Many are the casual travellers who know Normandy and Brittany, at least know them by name and perhaps something more, but how many of those who annually skim across France, in summer to Switzerland and in winter to the Riviera or to Italy, there to live in seven-franca-day pensions, and drink a particularly vile brand of tea, know where Brittany leav...
The blow by blow account of Britain's struggle against the invasion of the Romans, Anglo Saxons, Vikings and Normans.
A queen who helped define the cultural landscape of her era. As duchess of Brittany [1491-1514] and twice queen of France [1491-98; 1498-1514], Anne de Bretagne set a benchmark by which to measure the status of female authority in Europe at the dawn of the Renaissance. Although at times a traditional political pawn, when men who ruled her life were involved in reshaping European alliances, Anne was directly or indirectly involved with the principal political and religious European leaders of her time and helped define the cultural landscape of her era. Taking a variety of cross-disciplinary perspectives, these ten essays by art historians, literary specialists, historians, and political scie...