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Space is spectacular

This short, informative and engaging guide to the wonders of the universe will fascinate and inspire readers of all ages

There’s never been a more exciting time to learn about space. As new rockets are launched and fresh discoveries are made, humanity’s urge to explore and understand what’s going on out there keeps evolving and expanding.

But you don’t need to have Einstein-level training to grasp the science and ponder the big questions. This little book covers everything from the Big Bang and the formation of the planets in our solar system, and how to spot them in the night sky, to a timeline of firsts and major events, including the Apollo missions, Elon Musk’s SpaceX programme and Tim Peake’s Principia mission.

Packed with awe-inspiring facts and profiles of key figures, it will take you on an out-of-this-world adventure to the stars and back.

Among the many fascinating questions the book will answer are these:

– How big is the universe and how was it formed?
– How many meteorites crash into Earth every day?
– Could humans one day live on Mars?
– Are we alone in the universe?

The very aptly named Mr Pong had the kind of breath that could stun at over ten meters… This wasn’t just bad – there was something rotten down there. Something had crawled in and died. Gunter howled with laughter as he saw the look of horror on my face. It was the best entertainment he had seen since he had watched Chef chasing yaks through the kitchens.

Few foreigners are lucky enough to set foot on Tibetan soil, but Alec Le Sueur spent five extraordinary years there, working in the unlikeliest Holiday Inn in the world. Against the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayas unfolds a highly amusing and enlightening account of his experiences.

Fly infestations at state banquets, unexpected deliveries of live snakes, a predominance of yaks and everything yak-related, the unbelievable Miss Tibet competition, insurmountable communication problems and a dead guest are just some of the entertainments to be found at the ‘Fawlty Towers’ of Lhasa.

Le Sueur, the only Westerner since the days of Heinrich Harrer to spend so long in Tibet, examines the country’s intriguing cultural background, providing a fascinating insight into a country that was only just opening up to the outside world.