Civilisation is the title of journalist Steve Braunias' book, which examines ''20 places on the edge of the world''. This world is mainly ours, from Kawakawa in the North to Mosgiel in the South, with quick visits to Samoa and the Antarctic giving some international dimension.
> Mahler: Symphony No.1. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Naxos CD. Marin Alsop conducts the US orchestra in this famous symphony - just under an hour's enjoyable listening. The eerie slow...
This year is the bicentenary of the birth of master novelist Charles Dickens, so no wonder much has been published that has focused on the author and his writing.
> Asian Music for String Quartet.
NZ String Quartet.
Naxos CD.
Recorded in Toronto's St John's Church, five composers are featured, combining aesthetic and musical elements of East and West.
>Maxwell Davies: Symphony No.3, Cross Lane Fair. BBC Philharmonic. Naxos CD Conducted by Britain's modernist composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, the orchestra conjures up a thrilling seascape...
As I have not ventured to become a fully-fledged "Discworld" fan (39 books in Terry Pratchett's series so far), I read The Long Earth by Pratchett and British science fiction writer Stephen Baxter with some trepidation. It is touted to be the first in "an exciting new collaboration".