First Light

Peter can't wait to join his parents on an expedition to the ice caps of Greenland to study global warming. But while he's there, he begins to suspect there might be another reason for this trip other than scientific research. And in another world, there is Thea, who lives with her family under the ice, and is desperate to see what's above it. When Thea and Peter meet, two worlds will collide, and a host of secrets will be released.

Peter can't wait to join his parents on an expedition to the ice caps of Greenland to study global warming. But while he's there, he begins to suspect there might be another reason for this trip other than scientific research. And in another world, there is Thea, who lives with her family under the ice, and is desperate to see what's above it. When Thea and Peter meet, two worlds will collide, and a host of secrets will be released.

‘Illuminating and entertaining’ The Washington Post Astronomers have successfully observed a great deal of the Universe’s history, from recording the afterglow of the Big Bang to visualising the shadow of a black hole. However when it comes to understanding how the Universe began and grew, we have literally been in the dark. This book tells the story of the Cosmic Dawn – the time when the very first stars burst into life. These celestial giants were hundreds of times more massive than the Sun and a million times more luminous: lonely blue stars that lived fast and died young in enormous explosions, seeding the Universe with the elements that would eventually make up life itself. First Light illuminates this previously unknown, billion-year timeline. Astrophysicist Emma Chapman tells how these stars formed, why they were so unusual and what they can teach us about the universe today. She also also gives a first-hand look at the immense telescopes that are taking us from the realm of theoretical physics towards the wonder of looking back in time using observational astronomy. This revised edition has been updated to contain the latest findings across astronomy, from radio interferometry to gravitational waves and contains a brand new chapter covering the triumphant discovery of the first galaxies by the James Webb Space Telescope.

'Vivid, wholly convincing, compelling. One of the best memoirs for years about the experience of flying in war' Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph Two months before the outbreak of WWII, seventeen-year-old Geoffrey Wellum becomes a fighter pilot with the RAF . . . Desperate to get in the air, he makes it through basic training to become the youngest Spitfire pilot in the prestigious 92 Squadron. Thrust into combat almost immediately, Wellum finds himself flying several sorties a day, caught up in terrifying dogfights with German Me 109s. Over the coming months he and his fellow pilots play a crucial role in the Battle of Britain. But of the friends that take to the air alongside Wellum, many never return. *** 'An intimate account . . . rich in detail' James Holland, Wall Street Journal , 'Five Best World War II Memoirs' 'An extraordinarily deeply moving and astonishingly evocative story. Reading it, you feel you are in the Spitfire with him, at 20,000ft, chased by a German Heinkel, with your ammunition gone' Independent 'A brilliantly fresh, achingly written memoir. Thrilling and frightening on virtually every page . . . Wellum takes you into battle with him. A book for all ages and generations, a treasure' Daily Express

‘Illuminating and entertaining’ The Washington Post Astronomers have successfully observed a great deal of the Universe’s history, from recording the afterglow of the Big Bang to visualising the shadow of a black hole. However when it comes to understanding how the Universe began and grew, we have literally been in the dark. This book tells the story of the Cosmic Dawn – the time when the very first stars burst into life. These celestial giants were hundreds of times more massive than the Sun and a million times more luminous: lonely blue stars that lived fast and died young in enormous explosions, seeding the Universe with the elements that would eventually make up life itself. First Light illuminates this previously unknown, billion-year timeline. Astrophysicist Emma Chapman tells how these stars formed, why they were so unusual and what they can teach us about the universe today. She also also gives a first-hand look at the immense telescopes that are taking us from the realm of theoretical physics towards the wonder of looking back in time using observational astronomy. This revised edition has been updated to contain the latest findings across astronomy, from radio interferometry to gravitational waves and contains a brand new chapter covering the triumphant discovery of the first galaxies by the James Webb Space Telescope.

'Vivid, wholly convincing, compelling. One of the best memoirs for years about the experience of flying in war' Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph Two months before the outbreak of WWII, seventeen-year-old Geoffrey Wellum becomes a fighter pilot with the RAF . . . Desperate to get in the air, he makes it through basic training to become the youngest Spitfire pilot in the prestigious 92 Squadron. Thrust into combat almost immediately, Wellum finds himself flying several sorties a day, caught up in terrifying dogfights with German Me 109s. Over the coming months he and his fellow pilots play a crucial role in the Battle of Britain. But of the friends that take to the air alongside Wellum, many never return. *** 'An intimate account . . . rich in detail' James Holland, Wall Street Journal , 'Five Best World War II Memoirs' 'An extraordinarily deeply moving and astonishingly evocative story. Reading it, you feel you are in the Spitfire with him, at 20,000ft, chased by a German Heinkel, with your ammunition gone' Independent 'A brilliantly fresh, achingly written memoir. Thrilling and frightening on virtually every page . . . Wellum takes you into battle with him. A book for all ages and generations, a treasure' Daily Express