July 2017

1.

Bruce says:

"In my student days, I used the Waverley Route from Hawick to Edinburgh for almost five years (Dr Beeching made sure I didn’t reach the full five years!). I joined the protest movement in 1968 against closure and waved placards outside Downing Street.  During my student years, and since, I collected stories about the old railway, describing the days before Health and Safety regulations when a primary seven lad in short trousers could drive the engine at Jedburgh station, or when a goods train would be set off on its own across a bridge over a river in flood.   "One poor guard on a school train would be involved unwittingly in Blind Man’s Bluff, and another, a Carlisle guard had the misfortune to be goaded into a carriage with three or four ‘innocent’ Border lasses only to emerge at Carlisle with a red face minus every button of his uniform, trousers included! The memories are from people who used the lines and these add another dimension to the usual railway book.  Be prepared to have your memories flood back if you recall these old Border railways. One purchaser reported that his step-mother was in tears reading the book."

Memories of Lost Border Railways

2.

From the conflict in Syria to the crisis in Ukraine, Russia continues to dominate the headlines. Yet the political realities of contemporary Russia are poorly understood by Western observers and policy-makers. In this highly engaging book, Andrew Monaghan explains why we tend to misunderstand Russia - and the importance of 'getting Russia right'. Exploring in detail the relationship between the West and Russia, he charts the development of relations and investigates the causes of the increasingly obvious sense of strategic dissonance. He also considers the evolution in Russian domestic politics, introducing influential current figures and those who are forming the leadership and opposition of the future. By delving into the depths of difficult questions such as the causes of the Ukraine crisis or the political protests surrounding the 2011-12 elections, the book offers a dynamic model for understanding this most fascinating and elusive of countries.

The New Politics of Russia - Interpreting Change

3.

If you could hike to the moon, how long would it take? Just how many glasses of lemonade would you need to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool? If everyone on Earth owned exactly the same amount of land, how big would your yard be? And how much time would you spend mowing the lawn? Learn the math behind these questions in this hilarious romp through weight, volume, distance, and more. These 12 zany scenarios add up to a book full of fun! 

Written by Michael J. Rosen; illustrated by Julia Patton.

Mind-Boggling Numbers

Julia also appears in the June 2017 Bookshelf:

Alumni Bookshelf June 2017

4.

The second in the Jack Dash series, a comedy adventure about a boy called Jack who finds a magic quill pen which makes his drawings come to life. The problem is, he’s not very good at drawing. 

In this adventure, it’s Jack's first day at a new school and the head teacher is terrifying so the feather is staying at home. Or so he thinks. His friend Coco McBean has stolen it and drawn a penguin (called Pablo). And the chaos begins...

Giant cupcakes, speedboats, and penguins a plenty – it’s up to Jack to save the day again, but what will he draw? And why’s it snowing in the middle of summer? And do penguins even eat pizza?

Jack Dash and the Summer Blizzard

Sophie's website

Your book

If you are a member of the alumni community and have recently published a book, we would be delighted to include it in the Alumni Bookshelf. Email the details to Brian Campbell:

Email Brian Campbell

Please note