New Arrivals for Non-Fiction: Military History Reads
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Pegasus Bridge by Stephen E. Ambrose RRP: RM33.90 Price: RM17.90
In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, a small detachment of British airborne troops stormed the German defense forces and paved the way for the Allied invasion of Europe. Pegasus Bridge was the first engagement of D-Day, the turning point of World War II. This gripping account of it by acclaimed author Stephen Ambrose brings to life a daring mission so crucial that, had it been unsuccessful, the entire Normandy invasion might have failed. Ambrose traces each step of the preparations over many months to the minute-by-minute excitement of the hand-to-hand confrontations on the bridge. This is a story of heroism and cowardice, kindness and brutality — the stuff of all great adventures.
D-Day by Stephen E. Ambrose RRP: RM49.90 Price: RM17.90
Ambrose reveals how the original plans for the invasion were abandoned, and how ordinary soldiers and officers acted on their own initiative. D-Day is above all the epic story of men at the most demanding moment of their existence, when the horrors, complexities, and triumphs of life are laid bare. Ambrose portrays the faces of courage and heroism, fear and determination — what Eisenhower called “the fury of an aroused democracy” — that shaped the victory of the citizen soldiers whom Hitler had disparaged.
Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose RRP: RM44.50 Price: RM17.90
In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson selected his personal secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, to lead a voyage up the Missouri River, across the forbidding Rockies, and — by way of the Snake and mighty Columbia — down to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and his partner, Captain William Clark, endured incredible hardships and witnessed astounding sights. With great perseverance, they worked their way into an unexplored West and when they returned two years later, they had long since been given up for dead.
Lewis is supported by a variety of colorful characters: Jefferson and his vision of the West; Clark, the artist and map-maker; and Lewis — the enigma, who let brilliantly but considered the mission a failure After suffering several periods of depression — and despite his status as a national hero — Lewis died mysteriously, apparently by his own hand.
Citizen Soldiers by Stephen E. Ambrose RRP: RM39.90 Price: RM17.90
An oral history of the last European campaigns of the Second World War, from the landings at Normandy to the final surrender of the Axis powers. Ambrose, who has already chronicled the Second World War in Undaunted Courage and D-Day, concentrates on the experiences of the ordinary soldier in the ranks, and makes use of hundreds of interviews conducted over several years of research. A “New York Times” Notable Book for 1998.
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose RRP: RM33.90 Price: RM17.90
They came together in the summer of 1942. It was as good a rifle company as any in the world. Here is the story of E Company — men who went hungry, froze, and died for each other — from the rigorous training in Georgia in 1942 to their disbanding in 1945. A description of life in the Easy Company, 101st Airborne Division, US Army, from the time of their rigorous training in Georgia in 1942 to D-Day and victory. Drawing on interviews, journals and letters, the author tells – often in their own words – the story of these American heroes.
New Arrival: Non-Fiction Picks
Friday, July 23, 2010Are you ready for a life changing journey to a more postive self-persona from the way you package yourself?
Or are you feeling into different heart-warming or heart-wrenching biographies?
Look no more, BookXcess presents our new arrival of non-fiction picks, mostly Biographies this time around. 
What Your Clothes Say About You: How to Look Different, Act Different and Feel Different by Susannah Constantine, Trinny Woodall RRP: RM109.90 Price: RM24.90
Susannah and Trinny can tell how you feel about yourself by how you dress. This book shows how to project yourself in a positive way through your clothes. It shows how to re-tune your appearance so that you can tell the world you are who you want to be. When you look different you will act different, when you act different you will feel different. Susannah & Trinny’s last television series attracted 5 million viewers and sold more than 400,000 copies.
Real Heroes introduced by Jeremy Clarkson & Ross Kemp RRP: RM49.90 Price: RM9.90
A unique, full-colour, action-packed collection of true stories of heroism from the British Armed Forces. Discover a wealth of fascinating information about servicemen’s kit, weapons, vehicles, survival aids, tactics, bases and frontline accounts of experiences of battle. Other features include detailed maps, interviews with key personnel, understanding Afghanistan, military awards, breakdowns of battle units and insightful pieces from expert authors including Ben Brown, Patrick Bishop, Christina Lamb, James Holland and Ed Macy.
‘Real Heroes’ is the perfect gift for anyone who wants to support our troops — proceeds from the book will be donated to Help for Heroes, a tremendous charity set up to support the men and women of the British Armed Forces who are wounded in the line of duty. Exciting, eye-catching and informative, ‘Real Heroes’ is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about modern warfare, or simply enjoys a fast-paced account of real courage, comradeship and battle.
Toast: The Story of a Boy’s Hunger by Nigel Slater RRP: RM35.90 Price: RM17.90
This book aims to capture 30 years of British cooking and the recipes that we have grown up with since the days when a grilled grapefruit was the last word in dinner party chic. Everyone has gorged on cake mix, endured disastrous dinner parties, and put up with the loved one who can only ever produce burnt toast. Nigel Slater is no different.
The Sunday Times Bestseller, and the biggest memoir of the year, from Britain’s best loved food writer. TOAST is Nigel Slater’s truly extraordinary story of a childhood remembered through food. Whether relating his mother’s ritual burning of the toast, his father’s dreaded Boxing Day stew or such culinary highlights of the day as Arctic Roll and Grilled Grapefruit (then considered somehting of a status symbol in Wolverhampton) this remarkable memoir vividly recreates daily life in sixties surburban England.
The Crimes of Josef Fritzl: Uncovering the Truth by Stefanie Marsh, Bojan Pancevski RRP: RM38.90 Price: RM9.90
The only inside account of the Fritzl case – Josef Fritzl’s horrific incarceration of his daughter in a windowless dungeon for 24 years and the seven children he fathered with her – from the journalists who helped to break the story. Until April 19 2008, Josef Fritzl seemed like an upstanding member of the community in the Austrian town of Amstetten: an ideal father and successful businessman who had worked his way up from humble beginnings to become a role model of respectability. Yet for over two decades he had been living a double life of unimaginable and unparalleled horror.
This bold and forensically-researched study sheds new light on the mind and the psychological development of the man who became one of the most unique and frightening criminals in history. Stefanie Marsh and Bojan Pancevski were the first English-speaking reporters to break the case and were there as the police uncovered the dungeon.
The Pocket Book of Death by Morgan Reilly, Joanna Tempest, Rob DenBleyker (Illustrator)
RRP: RM35.90 Price: RM14.90
A laugh-out-loud miscellany of everything you ever wanted to know about death. From bizarre funeral practices and macabre urban myths to lucrative jobs in the death business. Accompanied by cartoons from the creators of the hit webcomic, ‘Cyanide & Happiness.’ There’s just something about the end that makes us want to run screaming back to the beginning! The Pocket Book of Death is a jaw-dropping miscellany of macabre word origins, hysterical famous last words, bizarre death rituals, the last meals of death row inmates and more.
Helpless: The True Story of a Neglected Girl Betrayed and Exploited by the Neighbour She Trusted by Marianne Marsh, Toni Maguire RRP: RM34.90 Price: RM17.90
Eight year old Marianne, the eldest of five children, was neglected by her slovenly mother and her violent alcoholic father. Uncared for and unkempt she was rejected at school by her peers and scarcely tolerated by her teachers. Only one person gave her the affection she craved; a neighbour who, seeing the vulnerable child, knew she was easy prey for his perverted desires. ‘Little Lady’ he called her over the few months he groomed her. Less than twelve months later she was caught in a trap of fear – if she talked she would be punished. With no one to turn to she kept ‘their secret’. At thirteen she fell pregnant. Without family support the teenager gave birth to a daughter in the unmarried mother’s home. Six weeks later the baby she had already grown to love was taken away for adoption. Marianne returned home, but the neighbour’s abuse continued and a year later she was pregnant again. Marianne who still missed her first child desperately struggled to keep her second daughter. Two months after the birth she realized that for the baby’s sake she would have to give her up for adoption. Helpless is Marianne’s heartbreaking story.
Finest Years: Churchill as Warlord 1940-45 by Sir Max Hastings RRP: RM129.90 Price: RM24.90
Pre-eminent military historian Max Hastings presents Winston Churchill as he has never been seen before. Winston Churchill was the greatest war leader Britain ever had. In 1940, the nation rallied behind him in an extraordinary fashion. But thereafter, argues Max Hastings, there was a deep divide between what Churchill wanted from the British people and their army, and what they were capable of delivering. Here is an intimate and affectionate portrait of Churchill as Britain’s saviour, but also an unsparing examination of the wartime nation which he led and the performance of its armed forces.
Torres: El Nino: My Story by Fernando Torres RRP: RM99.90 Price: RM19.90
Fernando Torres is one of the hottest properties in world football. From local Madrid idol to Kop hero and European Championship winner, he talks here for the first time about the unique challenges faced in his two years in England, with candid snapshots of his life on and off the field. At the age of 25, Spain’s Fernando Torres has already established himself as one of the Liverpool greats and a proud wearer of the fabled No 9 shirt. His first book provides a captivating illustrated story of his career to date, alongside candid snapshots of his early life in Madrid, as a child football prodigy and lifelong fan of local club Atletico. Away from the football, Torres talks about life out of the spotlight with his childhood sweetheart Ollala, his family and friends, and what inspires and motivates him.
New Arrival: Non-Fiction Selections
Saturday, July 10, 2010BookXcess presents… Various top selections of new arrival non-fiction titles! From cookery to biography to business to many more interesting genres!! Each visit to BookXcess is sure mind-blowing don’t you think?? 
- CAKES GALORE by Valerie Barrett RRP: RM59.90 Price: RM19.90
- CUPCAKES GALORE by Gail Wagman RRP: RM59.90 Price: RM19.90
- MUFFINS GALORE by Catherine Atkinson RRP: RM55.90 Price: RM19.90
- COOKIES GALORE by Jacqueline Bellefontaine RRP: RM55.90 Price: RM19.90
- BEAD SIMPLE RRP: RM77.90 Price: RM24.90
- WORLD HERITAGE SITES: A Complete Guide to 890 UNESCO World Heritage Sites RRP: RM105.00 Price: RM29.90
- THE BOOK OF LASTS: The Stories Behind the Endings That Changed the World RRP: RM39.90 Price: RM19.90
- PORSCHE THE LEGEND 1948 TO TODAY RRP: RM299.90 Price: RM69.90
- THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS “BUSINESS” ETHICS: There’s Only One Rule for Making Decisions by John C. Maxwell RRP: RM59.90 Price: RM19.90
- THE SUCCESS PRINCIPLES: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield, Janet Switzer, Janet Switzer RRP: RM69.90 Price: RM24.90
- ARISE SIR JAMIE OLIVER – THE BIOGRAPHY RRP: RM103.90 Price: RM24.90
- LANCE ARMSTRONG’S WAR: One Man’s Battle Against Fate, Fame, Love, Death, Scandal, and a Few Other Rivals on the Road to the Tour de France RRP: RM59.90 Price: RM19.90
- SCHLULZ AND PEANUTS – A BIOGRAPHY by by David Michaelis RRP: RM139.90 Price: RM34.90
- JOHN LENNON – THE LIFE by Philip Norman RRP: RM122.00 Price: RM29.90
- HEATH LEDGER – HIS BEAUTIFUL LIFE AND MYSTERIOUS DEATH RRP: RM49.55 Price: RM17.90
- J.R.R. TOLKIEN – AUTHOR OF THE CENTURY RRP: RM91.00 Price: RM24.90
- DEWEY: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by by Vicki Myron, Bret Witter, Bret Witter RRP: RM49.90 Price: RM19.90
- NIGELLA CHRISTMAS RRP: RM109.90 Price: RM49.90
New Arrival: Non-Fiction
Monday, June 14, 2010The buzz of BookXcess’ New Arrival excitement is here!! Today, we’re featuring some great picks from our Non-Fiction section! Do try spot if there’s any book in the stacks that might interest you!
Nice, huh?
- The Book of the Shepherd: The Story of One Simple Prayer, and How It Changed the World by Joann Davis RRP: RM64.90 Now: RM19.90
- 1415 – Henry V’s Year of Glory RRP: RM109.90 Now: RM29.90
- The World of Rottweilers RRP: RM215.95 Now: RM29.90
- You Being Beautiful: The Owner’s Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty by Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz Now: RM19.90
- You Having a Baby: The Owner’s Manual to a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy by Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz Now: RM19.90
- Tarts & Pies – Classics & Contemporary by Philippa Vanstone RRP: RM109.90 Now: RM24.90
- Donna Dewberry’s All New Book of One-Stroke Painting Now: RM24.90
- Quick & Clever Beading: Over 50 Fast and Fabulous Ideas for Crafting with Beads by Dorothy Wood Now: RM24.90
- Best-Ever Book of Pastry Now: RM29.90
Now, all of us should live life to the fullest right? Now you can pick out one or two of these books & accomplish the list of 1001s!!
1001 Foods: The Greatest Gastronomic Sensations on Earth RRP: RM89.00 Now: RM29.90
1001 Books: You Must Read Before You Die RRP: RM89.00 Now: RM29.90
1001 Movies: You Must See Before You Die RRP: RM89.00 Now: RM29.90
1001 Albums: You Must Hear Before You Die RRP: RM89.00 Now: RM29.90
Nothing But The Real Thing
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
If fiction is not your cup of tea, then we’re almost certain you’ll like one book among our selection of non-fiction books we have here! Coupled with amazing prices you would not get elsewhere, it’s really hard not to like any of our books, really! Read more
BookXcess Reviews Asmara: Africa’s Secret Modernist City
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Asmara: Africa’s Secret Modernist City – Edward Denison, Guang Yu Ren & Naigzy Gebremedhin
Price: RM29.90
1. So, what’s this book about?
This book chronicles the history of Asmara through its architecture from the time before 1889 through their independence, as well as the future plans for the city. The first half of the book concentrates on the history of this city in Eritrea, Africa in words while the second half shows us the history of Asmara with its evolving architecture through the decades in beautiful colour photography.
2. What’s special about it?
If Malaysia has Melaka and its Dutch-influenced architecture, the African equivalent would be Asmara and its Italian-inspired buildings. Sketches of floor plans and images of the actual buildings from pre-1900s to the early ’90s are displayed in Asmara, along with the changes of the buildings’ functions between then and now.
3. What did you think about this book?
Reading Asmara was interesting because it showed how the city evolved throughout the years. Buildings that are still in use since years and years before have gone from being a theatre to a factory and finally an apartment! The aesthetic values of Asmara’s architecture are amazingly preserved throughout the years and in this book. It’s truly fantastic!
4. Would you recommend this book to anyone?
Architecture buffs, intrepid travellers of Africa, students of art or anybody who knows how to appreciate and value the combination of art, history and beauty would enjoy Asmara.
5. Random question: Tell us something interesting about Asmara.
Asmara is considered the Italy of Africa due to the Italian influence on its architecture. It is also considered to be one of the safest and cleanest cities in Africa.
Review by BookXcess staff Malis
BookXcess Reviews Leonardo’s Machines: Da Vinci’s Inventions Revealed
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Leonardo’s Machines: Da Vinci’s Inventions Revealed
Price: RM39.90
1. So, what’s this book about?
The book shows the work of Leonardo da Vinci. The works by him originally written in code in his notebooks are turned into a sensational set of never-seen-before artworks.
2. What’s special about it?
Over 30 of Leonardo’s mechanical inventions are turned into three-dimensional, computer-generated artworks such as the Odometer, the self-propelled cart, the swing bridge and the barrage cannon. The details of the drawings and the parts of the machine are shown precisely. Fantastic!
3. What did you think about this book?
It is so amazing for this well-known scientist to have had the ideas to create what he had invented. On one side he is the person who invented revolutionary machines, and on the other side he painted Mona Lisa! Pure genius. This is what I thought after going through the book.
4. Would you recommend this book to anyone?
If you want to know where the modern innovation of machines comes from, this is the good book for you to flip though. If you want to inspire yourself with the idea for new inventions, this is also the book for you.
5. Random question: Besides Mona Lisa, what is another famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci?
The Last Supper.
Review by BookXcess staff Malis
BookXcess Reviews Queen of Fashion – Caroline Weber
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Queen of Fashion – Caroline Weber
Price: RM29.90
1. So, what’s this book about?
Before style icons like Princess Diana and Jacqueline Onassis, Marie Antoinette was an icon of style in her time. This book is a story about her and the style she developed to command attention.
2. What’s special about it?
You get to learn about the woman behind King Louis XVI of the French Revolution (1789–1792), and how she was the trendsetter during her time for hairstyles and outfits.
3. What did you think about this book?
The book made me marvel at the women during Marie Antoinette’s time. How did they survive wearing huge, heavy dresses with tight corsets and elaborate hairstyles?? And they couldn’t wear trousers then too – quite unthinkable!
4. Would you recommend this book to anyone?
If you consider Princess Diana and Jacqueline Onassis to be elegant, beautiful and stylish women, you would probably add Marie Antoinette in that list after you read this book.
5. Random question: Which celebrity do you most admire for her sense of style?
Charlize Theron.
Review by BookXcess staff Malis
A Rare, Authentic Read About China
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Moment in Peking - Lin Yutang
Price: RM19.90
Open the newspapers and what do you see …. Guns, bombs, people hurting people and the world around them. The same trend seems to be flowing into the realm of books that are increasingly filled with murder and mayhem. In this world, this book comes like a breath of fresh air.
Some days I don’t want a political thriller; I don’t want bodies buried under cellars and a clever psychopath; I don’t want high-flying, impossibly skinny women dating beautiful men in an unreal world. Some days, I just want to read about a story like you and me and our lives as we try and take it one day at a time while making sense of the world around us.
From the man who showed us The Importance of Living, comes the story of how men and women grow up and learn to live with one another, how they love and hate and quarrel and forgive and suffer and enjoy, how certain habits of living and ways of thinking are formed, and how, above all, they adjust themselves to the circumstances in this earthly life where men strive but the gods rule.
Written between August 1938 and August 1939, the book is dedicated to the brave soldiers of China who are laying down their lives that our children and grandchildren shall be free men and women.
Moment in Peking is one of the early novels of China written in English, but in the authentic manner of Chinese novelists. The scene is a moving panorama of a turbulent China, covering nearly 40 years from the terror of the Boxer Rebellion at the turn of the century to the trauma of the Japanese invasion, a period of great social change and adjustments in the lives of ordinary people.
The story is that of two daughters of a Peking upper middle-class family, Mulan and Mochow. Around them is depicted the intimate family life of an old official family. Three sons and three strikingly contrasting daughters-in-law offer a cross-section of the bewildering generation emerging in China then.
Lin Yutang makes no plea for the old ways or the new. He simply tells this tale of Chinese people as he has known them, presenting the early history of modern China in rich and vivid colour. And for me at least, this is as it should be.
Text by BookXcess staff Nesa