Bøger af Derek Thomas

This environmental story for children is based on two real life animals who are from different worlds. Rawie (Raavie) is a scrub hare whose habitat is the dry arid parts of the Karoo, South Africa. Honey is a characterful Irish terrier who would love to play with the wild animals who live close by, but that will never happen. The farmers' gin traps are threat to all veld animals, and the story holds humans accountable to ensure that all creatures are allowed their rightful place in the sun.

The story teller is a 21 year old probationer teacher, John Young, who relates the story of his first term at Blacklake Secondary Boys School in Eastburn, a suburban Essex town in the UK. John rents a bed sitter at The Cedars, a large Victorian house where there are three other teacher inmates. The genteel elderly owner, Miss Fortescue, also resides there with Oliver, her black and white cat. The humorous story of school events includes a visit by an inspector; a prolonged bout of practical joking by the senior boys which is resolved only when the staff decide to respond in kind; and John's comical experiences when he takes temporary charge of an evening class composed of a motley collection of adult learners. The arrival of an attractive young fair haired student, Susan Renshaw, to do teaching practice creates farcical tensions and rivalries among the staff. 'A wonderful gentle look into the first term of John, with great humor and observation. I was engrossed from the very beginning and cannot wait to see if there is a sequel coming soon.' Amazon Review

Architecture and the Urban Environment - Holistic Design forms a critical appraisal of the place and direction of architecture and urban design in the new world order, the second decade into the 21st Century. This philosophical and practical primer responds to current social, cultural, natural and technological resource issues and aims to assist architects, urban designers and landscape architects - and those in training - to synthesise the elements of holistic and sustainable design.

As part of the military band for centuries, bugle boys as young as fifteen were recruited to follow the British army into the field. At the time of the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 the custom was nearing the end of its useful life. In this story, based on historical events and characters, the fate of Albert Allgood the bugle boy on the side of the British is briefly linked to that of Willem Lategan, a farm boy who joins the Republican burgher forces. Due to Lord Kitchener's draconian methods and despite his age, Willem faces a charge of treason as a Cape Rebel, and makes the ultimate sacrifice that symbolises the unwillingness of the Boers to live under the yoke of British rule.

After perestroika a young Russian fine artist persuades his lover to become his accessory in a risky venture, to steal State art treasures as retribution for the stripping of his family's noble estate during the Bolshevik revolution.

A 17th century puritan clergyman, Charles Winne, funded trusts for a school in Wolverhampton and for a school in the parish of Penn, Staffordshire. Born into a relatively poor Worcestershire family, Winne graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge, was ordained in Norwich Cathedral and ministered in Sudbury, Suffolk and Penn, Staffordshire. At Sudbury, his parishioners were taxed and levied to support the parliamentary forces in the Civil War; some were conscripted for military service; others had billeted troops forced upon them; and those considered to be ungodly had their property stolen. His parish church and churches in neighbouring parishes were despoiled by iconoclasts; and witch hunts brought terror to the area. During the following 23 years at Penn, an anointed king, Charles I, was brought to trial for breach of faith with his subjects, executed, and monarchy declared abolished. The Church of England was dissolved, its property seized, and religious toleration for all forms of Protestantism proclaimed. Ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity were proclaimed and were to live on and to revive again in other societies and other ages. After this revolution, monarchy, lords and the Anglican Church were restored. What manner of man was Winne? How did he survive as a puritan priest during this tumultuous time in English history? Why did he fund trusts in his will? How did he gain wealth to make provision for trusts? These are the questions addressed in this study of a seventeenth century puritan cleric.

The trial of Heathfield Halliday ("Hal"), a young Scottish environmentalist follows his confrontation with the multinational mining syndicates which operate illegally in the Peruvian Andes. The threat to the wild life and the continual destruction of the rich heritage of the Amazon forest spark his crusade against them while the Peruvian authorities prefer not to take action. With his supporters, a carefully planned strategy ends almost in tragedy. He is repatriated to face trial in Scotland under international law where he shares a gaol cell with Macrory, a robust tough-talking Scot with a soft heart and who protects him from the prison culture of violence. Both their cases are defended by a young lawyer, Ms Price, whose smart legal savvy steers the way through the dubious tactics of the prosecution. The court sequences are conducted in the banter of the courtroom and with some humour. The lives of the two cellmates remain intertwined beyond the gates of prison, and, in a surprise ending Ms Price ties the knot with one of them.

To JUSTINE DURANDT delusion is a means of escape from the real world. Her life as a world-famous film actress allows her to live in a coccoon, to shut out the truth and write the script for her own life's melodrama. Her upbringing on a lonely farm in South Africa leaves deep scars from abuse and a legacy which becomes her secret, ending her marriage to Matt Newbury, a charismatic homeopath to the rich and famous. She commissions a ghost writer, Raoul Jardine, to write her memoirs wanting to present to the world the woman she is not. He is more interested in the truth and becomes a threat to her delusion. In and out of clinics, her dark side begins to take control of her actions and she engages proxies to eliminate her perceived enemies, ultimately leading to her own destruction when the identity of the only person who knew the true secret of her life is revealed. GRIGOR SIDOROV is a young fine artist recognised for his exceptional talent. After perestroika he works for the State in the restoration of Russia's art and architectural treasures. The Sidorovs are a close family of White Russians, persecuted during the Soviet era. Grigor deludes himself that he alone carries the burden of the loss of the family's dignity, the blurring of their lineage back to the time of Tzar Peter the Great, and the dispossession of their wealth. In the Peterhof Palace in St Petersburg, the 18th C paintings by a famous Italian artist, Pietro Rotari, provide a compelling link with his family's claim to be descendents of Menshikov, the Tzar's close friend. He makes perfect copies of the paintings, the first step in his plan for retribution. At the Palace his co-worker, Lara, falls in love with him. She realises that his mental stability depends on him owning the original paintings, and she becomes his willing accomplice.

Paul's letter to the churches of Galatia seems to burst on the reader like a sudden storm. The issues it raises still generate controversy, even after two thousand years of church history. In large measure this is because what was at stake when Paul wrote was the gospel itself. The question of whether human works were to play any part in the justification of sinners had to be answered clearly if the fledgling Christian movement was to prosper. And Paul was determined to answer it with total clarity. This explains the vigour and energy of his language, and the impact the letter has had down the centuries. Derek Thomas explains the issues dealt with in the letter and refutes the contentions of the so-called 'new perspective' on Paul. His book is an important addition to this expanding series of study guides.

A unique new tool for community planners, Placemaking: An Urban Design Methodology emphasises the importance of the community while taking into account the expertise of the planner in creating public spaces.

This book highlights aesthetics as pertaining to the structural component in architectural design. Based on comprehensive research, a critical analysis is presented of the constraints and other influences on architectural and structural design, such as culture, patronage, geometry, available resources and technologies.

A unique new tool for community planners, Placemaking: An Urban Design Methodology emphasises the importance of the community while taking into account the expertise of the planner in creating public spaces.

In the context of their gardens, neighborhoods and sometimes beyond, the authors of this book provide a month-by-month account of their birding year, commenting upon what they saw and heard, shared with others, and how our world is radically changing bird life and the fabric of our lives.