An essential guidebook for walking the GR5, one of the world's most spectacular long-distance trails. The GR5 makes its way through the Alps from the shores of Lac Léman at Geneva to the Mediterranean at Nice. A route of 674km (420 miles), it can be trekked in a month, or split over a series of summer trips. The GR5 is well within the reach of fit and moderately experienced walkers and backpackers. There is good signposting and waymarking, and accommodation, food and drink are all available at regular intervals. The paths and tracks are generally well graded, while steep climbs are tackled on zigzag paths, so the overall gradient is not so severe. Every summer, thousands of walkers embark on this trek. This guidebook also describes some scenic variant routes, including the stunning GR55 through the Vanoise National Park and the delightful GR52 that crosses the Mercantour National Park. Full descriptions and maps are provided for these alternatives. The book includes daily stages, timings, ascents and descents, full-colour mapping and gradient profiles, alongside information about facilities and services along the route. The result is an ideal companion to planning and completing your trek. Two further Cicerone guidebooks cover the remaining sections of the GR5; 'The GR5 Trail - Vosges and Jura', and 'The GR5 Trail - Benelux and Lorraine' which together cover the route from Lac Léman to the Hoek Van Holland.

‘The Ayes Have It’ is a fascinating account of the Queensland Parliament during three decades of high-drama politics. It examines in detail the Queensland Parliament from the days of the ‘Labor split’ in the 1950s, through the conservative governments of Frank Nicklin, John Bjelke- Petersen and Mike Ahern, to the fall of the Nationals government led briefly by Russell Cooper in December 1989. The volume traces the rough and tumble of parliamentary politics in the frontier state. The authors focus on parliament as a political forum, on the representatives and personalities that made up the institution over this period, on the priorities and political agendas that were pursued, and the increasingly contentious practices used to control parliamentary proceedings. Throughout the entire history are woven other controversies that repeatedly recur – controversies over state economic development, the provision of government services, industrial disputation and government reactions, electoral zoning and disputes over malapportionment, the impost of taxation in the ‘low tax state’, encroachments on civil liberties and political protests, the perennial topic of censorship, as well as the emerging issues of integrity, concerns about conflicts of interest and the slide towards corruption. There are fights with the federal government – especially with the Whitlam government – and internal fights within the governing coalition which eventually leads to its collapse in 1983, after which the Nationals manage to govern alone for two very tumultuous terms. On the non-government side, the bitterness of the 1950s split was reflected in the early parliaments of this period, and while the Australian Labor Party eventually saw off its rivalrous off-shoot (the QLP-DLP) it then began to implode through waves of internal factional discord.

* 75 snowshoe routes in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine * Trails within driving distance of urban areas throughout New England, including Boston, Hartford, Providence, Burlington, Concord, and Portland * A handy trip-planning chart compares snowshoe routes by trail data and scenic highlights From the White Mountains in New Hampshire and Acadia National Park in Maine to the Berkshires in Massachusetts, the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont, and everything in-between, this new snowshoe guide offers snowshoe routes for people of all ages and abilities, from beginner to backcountry expert. Trips lead deep into snow-blanketed woods, past frozen waterfalls and lakes, up challenging peaks, and to scenic views only accessible by snowshoes. For each route, driving directions, level of difficulty, round-trip mileage, hiking time, and elevation gain are all noted. You'll also find helpful information on choosing the right snowshoes, what to wear, suggestions for safe winter driving, safety tips for backcountry snowshoeing, and much more.