Biography Books

Book Synopsis'I hope The Long Walk will remain as a memorial to all those who live and die for freedom, and for all those who for many reasons could not speak for themselves'Slavomir RawiczSlavomir Rawicz was a young Polish cavalry officer. On 19 November 1939 he was arrested by the Russians and after brutal interrogation he was sentenced to twenty-five years in a gulag.After a three-month journey in the dead of winter to Siberia, life in a Soviet labour camp meant enduring hunger, extreme cold, untreated wounds and illnesses and facing the daily risk of arbitrary execution. Realising that to remain meant almost certain death, Rawicz, along with six companions, escaped. In June 1941, they crossed the trans-Siberian railway and headed south, climbing into Tibet and freedom in British India nine months later, in March 1942, having travelled over four thousand miles on foot through some of the harshest regions in the world, including the Gobi Desert, Tibet and the Himalayas.First published in 1956, this is one of the greatest true stories of escape, adventure and survival against all odds. In 2010, a film, The Way Back, based on the book, directed by six-time Academy Award-nominee Peter Weir (Master and Commander, The Truman Show, and The Dead Poets Society) was released. It starred Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess and Ed Harris.Trade ReviewPositively Homeric. -- Cyril Connolly * The Times *The Long Walk is a book that I absolutely could not put down and one that I will never forget. -- Stephen AmbroseA poet with steel in his soul. * New York Times *One of the most amazing, heroic stories of this or any other time. * Chicago Tribune *A book filled with the spirit of human dignity and the courage of men seeking freedom. * Los Angeles Times *Heroism is not the domain of the powerful; it is the domain of people whose only other alternative is to give up and die . . . [The Long Walk] must be read - and reread, and passed along to friends. * National Geographic Adventure *The ultimate human endurance story . . . told with clarity, vivid description, and a good dash of romance and humor. * Vancouver Sun *One of the epic treks of the human race. Shackleton, Franklin, Amundsen . . . History is filled with people who have crossed immense distances and survived despite horrific odds. None of them, however, has achieved the extraordinary feat Rawicz has recorded. He and his companions crossed an entire continent - the Siberian Arctic, the Gobi Desert and then the Himalayas - with nothing but an axe, a knife and a week's worth of food . . . His account is so filled with despair and suffering it is almost unreadable. But it must be read - and re-read. -- Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect StormEssentially it comes down to some sort of inner tenacity and that is what is so gripping about the book because you know that this is actually about all of us. It's not just some Polish bloke who wanted to get home. It's about how we all struggle on every day. Somehow or other we find a reason to keep on going and it's the same here but on an epic scale. -- Benedict Allen, explorer and bestselling author of Into the Abyss and Edge of Blue Heaven

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Book SynopsisA new book from one of our most acclaimed writers. We always believe that changing our mind is an improvement, bringing a greater truthfulness to our dealings with the world and other people. It puts an end to vacillation, uncertainty, weak-mindedness. It seems to make us stronger and more mature. Well, we would think that, wouldn't we?'In this engaging and erudite essay, critically acclaimed writer Julian Barnes explores what is involved when we change our minds: about words, about politics, about books; about memories, age and time.

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Book SynopsisHope I’m in for a good time, I thought. Even if it’s just for tonight.Set in the underground bar and club scene of 1970s Tokyo, Set My Heart On Fire tells the story of Izumi in her turbulent twenties. Through a series of disarmingly frank vignettes, author Izumi Suzuki presents an unforgettable portrait of a young woman encountering missteps and miscommunication, good music and unreliable men, powerful drugs and disorientating meds. Izumi usually keeps her relationships short but complicated, until she meets Jun.Set My Heart on Fire is a visceral novel about mistaken relationships and the convolutions of desire, about regret and acceptance. Pulsing through the narration is the protagonist’s love of music, a vital soundtrack spanning the Zombies, T. Rex and the Rolling Stones as well as underground Japanese psychedelic-rock bands such as the Tigers and the Tempters.

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Book SynopsisA new selection of post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gough''s letters, The Letters of Vincent van Gogh put a human face on one of the most haunting figures in modern Western culture. In this Penguin Classics edition, the letters are selected and edited by Ronald de Leeuw, and translated by Arnold Pomerans in Penguin Classics.Few artists'' letters are as self-revelatory as Vincent van Gogh''s, and this selection, spanning his artistic career, sheds light on every facet of the life and work of this complex and tortured man. Engaging candidly and movingly with his religious struggles, his ill-fated search for love, his attacks of mental illness and his relation with his brother Theo, the letters contradict the popular myth of van Gogh as an anti-social madman and a martyr to art, showing instead a man of great emotional and spiritual depths. Above all, they stand as an intense personal narrative of artistic development and a unique account of the process of creation. The letters are linked by explanatory biographical passages, revealing van Gogh''s inner journey as well as the outer facts of his life. This edition also includes the drawings that originally illustrated the letters.Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853-1890) was born in Holland. In 1885 he painted his first masterpiece, The Potato Eaters, a haunting scene of domestic poverty. A year later he began studying in Paris, where he met Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec and Seurat, who became very important influences on his work. In 1888 he left Paris for the Provencal landscape at Arles, the subject of many of his best works, including Sunflowers.If you enjoyed The Letters of Vincent van Gogh, you might also like 100 Artists Manifestos, available in Penguin Modern Classics.''If there was ever any doubt that Van Gogh''s letters belong beside those great classics of artistic self-revelation, Cellini''s autobiography and Delacroix''s journal, this excellent new edition dispels it''The TimesTable of ContentsThe Letters of Vincent van GoghAbout This EditionTranslator's NoteIntroductionBiographical OutlineEarly LettersRamsgate and IsleworthDordrechtAmsterdamThe BorinageEttenThe HagueThe Hague, Drenthe and NuenenFrom Nuenen to AntwerpParisArlesSaint-RémyAuvers-sur-OiseBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER''Affectionate, evocative, illuminating. A story of survival - of a flock, a landscape and a disappearing way of life. I love this book'' Nigel Slater''Triumphant, a pastoral for the 21st century'' Helen Davies, Sunday Times, Books of the Year''The nature publishing sensation of the year, unsentimental yet luminous'' Melissa Harrison, The Times, Books of the YearSome people''s lives are entirely their own creations. James Rebanks'' isn''t. The first son of a shepherd, who was the first son of a shepherd himself, he and his family have lived and worked in and around the Lake District for generations. Their way of life is ordered by the seasons and the work they demand, and has been for hundreds of years. A Viking would understand the work they do: sending the sheep to the fells in the summer and making the hay; the autumn fairs where the flocks are replenished; the gruelling toil of winter when the sheep must be kept alive, and the light-headedness that comes with spring, as the lambs are born and the sheep get ready to return to the fells.Trade ReviewTwo pages into The Shepherd's Life, I was gripped. Twenty pages in, I was amazed. By its end, I knew I'd read an extraordinary book, at once political and beautiful - a major addition to the modern British literature of landscape, that can stand alongside Ronald Blythe's classic Akenfield as a portrait of a place and its people as seen from within -- Robert MacfarlaneA very good book -- Alan BennettAffectionate, evocative, illuminating. A story of survival - of a flock, a landscape and a disappearing way of life. I love this book -- Nigel Slater, author of Toast and The Kitchen DiariesBloody marvellous -- Helen Macdonald, author of H is for HawkA powerful - and quietly electrifying - meditation... Page by page, he builds what amounts to a 21st-century pastoral manifesto. The book is an unsentimental education, part history of farming in the Lake District, part personal memoir. And yet it still soars... Rebanks's prose is beautifully sure-footed -- Helen Davies * Sunday Times *A remarkable achievement... Utterly unsentimental, The Shepherd's Life is, nevertheless, profoundly moving... The human values that imbue The Shepherd's Life are, perhaps, ones that Britain, disillusioned and scandal weary, could do with being reminded of right now -- Melissa Harrison * Financial Times *Rebanks's enthusiasm and talent for poetic writing is infectious... [His] words create not only a gorgeous landscape painting of the Lake District and its inhabitants, human, animal, bird and fish, but also a useful social document... What is most striking about this book is its authenticity; this is the real thing -- Carol Midgley * The Times *A wonderfully detailed and candid account of a life that is both individual and typical of this role in rural society... told with perfect pitch, in prose that flows as easily as speech, cleaves hungrily to the particular, and shifts without strain between the workaday and the imaginative -- David Craig * Guardian *Absorbing, often funny, and beautifully written... a testament to the importance of maintaining a connection to the land * Observer *Captivating... A book about continuity and roots and a sense of belonging in an age that's increasingly about mobility and self-invention. Hugely compelling -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *Exceptional... Rebanks's way with words is akin to that of that of an expert shearer with the clippers - swift, deft, skilled - and the resulting prose is lean, vivid, tough and handsome. I loved his book. It is one to restore faith in writing and the business of publishing - a story not like any other, told from the inside by someone whose passion for his subject lights up almost every sentence -- Tom Fort * Literary Review *An unforgettable survivor's book that raises important questions, not least about education... one of the most truthful depictions of contemporary rural life that I have read -- Richard Benson * Independent *More than a tribute to a rare and doughty tribe. If hills could speak, this is surely a tale the fells would tell -- Horatio Clare * Telegraph *An enlightening, exquisitely written account... I was beguiled by this book, an eloquent love-letter to a cherished way of life -- Brian Viner * Daily Mail *May well do for sheep what Helen Macdonald did for hawks -- Stephen Moss * Guardian *Punchy, well-read and occasionally lyrical... a glorious book, alive with the author's voice, which is strong and individual, as befits a man who makes a living in this ancient but precarious way. Most striking is its honesty * Herald Scotland *Rebanks offers a fascinating account of his life in farming that is in equal parts memoir, social commentary and procedural. Even for the most committed urbanite, it's a brilliant read -- Alexander Larman * Observer *James Rebanks's unsentimental, sharply detailed memoir about his life as a shepherd gripped me from the first page -- Moira Hodgson * Wall Street Journal *A timely and important book, with flashes of beauty in its spare and honest prose -- Sadie Jones, author of The OutcastIn James Rebanks we hear a new voice from the fells. The toil and the beauty in The Shepherd's Life are utterly compelling -- Nicholas Crane, author of CoastA vivid, honest, unforgettably written account not just of one shepherd's year, but of an ancient way of life -- Lucy Dillon, author of A Hundred Pieces of MeThe Shepherd's Life is a reader's delight. No tourist wandering the iconic Lake District is Rebanks; coming from centuries of farmers he is as 'hefted' to the fells as the Herdwick sheep he keeps. He lives, breathes and works his landscape - which gives him an inside edge as sharp as shears over most of the flock of current countryside-writers. Rebanks has written a marvellous autobiography - of himself, his family, and the hills themselves. For they are indivisible -- John Lewis-Stempel, author of MeadowlandWhat came through was the stolid humility, gentle stubbornness and genuine care you need to live this life. Many books are written about a thing but this book is of a thing and is valuable for it -- Cynan Jones, author of The DigThe Shepherd's Life is that rare thing, a well-written book about the life of the land by a man who gets his living from the land. It's a paean for a peopled landscape, and a powerful counterblast to the doleful environmentalism that would empty our land of its people -- Philip Walling, author of Counting SheepBeautifully written -- Alan Cumming, actor and author of Not My Father's SonIrreverent, honest, achingly beautiful and totally authentic. Rebanks challenges us to understand what would be lost if no one remembers the seasons of a shepherd's life or the culture of sheep farming. His joy is as contagious as his writing -- Linda Lear, author of Beatrix Potter: The extraordinary life of a Victorian geniusTruly extraordinary... written with a mastery of vivid, concrete detail that makes you gasp * WI Life *A wonderful book which will surely become a Lake District classic. Powerfully written and unflinchingly honest, it provides a vivid insight into the realities of hill farming life -- Angus J L Winchester, Professor of Local & Landscape History, Lancaster UniversityA gorgeous book, unsentimental but exultant, vivid and profound, and a fierce defense of small-scale farming -- Maryn McKenna * National Geographic *A beautifully told tale suffused by a profound sense of belonging and a clear-eyed love of the land and its people. * Sunday Morning Herald *His prose is earthed and conversational; it feels as if you're leaning over a gate, listening to his ruminations. The book exudes tough passion, and a sense of belonging and love that holds you rapt to the very last line * Intelligent Life *

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Book Synopsis''Engrossing'' Daniel Beer, Guardian''A beautiful book... incisive, radiant'' Olivia Laing''Illuminating, dramatic... majestic writing'' Spectator''Enthralling... a triumph'' Andrew SolomonAlex Halberstadt returns to Russia, the troubled, enigmatic land of his birth, where decades of Soviet totalitarianism shaped and fractured three generations of his family, in this haunting work of memoir and history.In Ukraine, Halberstadt tracks down his paternal grandfather - most likely the last living bodyguard of Joseph Stalin. He revisits Lithuania, his Jewish mother''s home, to examine the legacy of the Holocaust and the pernicious anti-Semitism that remains largely unaccounted for. And he returns to his birthplace, Moscow, where his grandmother designed homespun couture for Soviet ministers'' wives, his mother consoled dissidents at a psychiatric hospital, and his father made a dangerous living by selTrade ReviewAn act of literary archaeology... [in] finely wrought prose... melding the genres of biography, history and memoir. The book is more than just an account of one family's ordeals: it is an engrossing account of dictatorship, war and genocide, and how the toxic legacy they left behind has etched itself into successive generations of Soviet citizens. -- Daniel Beer * The Guardian *A loving and mournful account that's also skeptical, surprising and often very funny... Lush and moving. -- Jennifer Szalai * New York Times *Illuminating, dramatic... It's as if [Halbertstadt's] feelings about Russia were frozen in time when he emigrated, leaving shards of perception that are peculiarly incisive... Majestic writing. -- Matthew Janney * Spectator *Alex Halberstadt is a magnificent writer. Young Heroes of the Soviet Union is a beautiful book about trauma and its impact on one extraordinary family, and an incisive, radiant look at the long legacy of suffering and war.This terrific, gripping book, part family memoir, part history...[is] a superb evocation of the Soviet Union in the 1960s and '70s. -- David Herman * Jewish Chronicle *Enthralling... Alex Halberstadt describes the disjunction between his Soviet childhood and his American adolescence with incandescent wit, a sometimes bitter but always compelling nostalgia, and great literary flair. This book is a triumph. -- Andrew SolomonSurprising, sad, funny, and engrossing... This is history as memoir, and vice versa. -- John Jeremiah Sullivan[An] elegant testimony to the subordination of human life to the will of an overmighty state. -- Robert Leigh-Pemberton * Daily Telegraph *Fascinating. -- Julia Llewellyn Smith * Mail on Sunday *This truly excellent book will transform your understanding of what memoir can do. -- Wells Tower

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewWhat better gift to give for Christmas than this wonderfully irreverent collection of the great Jilly Cooper's columns from the 60s? * i newspaper *No one else can make me laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time, quite like Jilly Cooper * Gill Sims *Jilly Cooper's non-fiction is just as entertaining as her novels * Pandora Sykes *This book has given me so much pleasure * Alan Titchmarsh *Britain needs this jolly Jilly Cooper collection...Line after line, anecdote after anecdote is laugh-out-loud funny, the prose bouncing along like a labrador puppy * The Times *

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Book SynopsisKit de Waal and her brother and sisters had a hard childhood in the West Midlands. Her Irish mother didn''t feed them, didn''t believe in Christmas or birthdays, and thought the world would end in 1975. Her father saved all his money to return to the Caribbean, where he planned to make a new life without them. At school, their faces just didn''t fit in. This is the story of how Kit and her brother and sisters helped each other escape, and what gave Kit the strength to keep living.

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Book Synopsis**OVER HALF A MILLION COPIES SOLD****THE TIMES MEMOIR OF THE YEAR 2019**'The best royal book by miles . . . funny, gossipy and riveting'JANE RIDLEY, SPECTATOR'If your jaw doesn't drop at least three times every chapter, you've not been paying proper attention'SUNDAY TIMES'A captivating account of a life lived with resilience and grace'DAILY MAIL'The stoical Lady G writes with infectious joy and optimism'DAILY EXPRESS'The gossip is stupendous but it's also tremendously touching. It's one of those books that makes you long for bed so you can read more!'JILLY COOPER'I can't recommend it highly enough'LORRAINE KELLY'Gentle, wise, unpretentious, but above all inspiring'THE TIMES'A candid, witty and stylish memoir'MIRANDA SEYMOUR, FINANCIAL TIMES'Stalwart and disarmingly honest . . . emotion resonates through this delightful memoir'THE WALL STREET JOURNAL'Discretion and honour emerge as the hallmarks of Glenconner's career as a royal servant, culminating in this book which manages to be both candid and kind'GUARDIAN'I couldn't put it down. Funny and touching - like looking through a keyhole at a lost world.'RUPERT EVERETT~The remarkable life of Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret who was also a Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation. Anne Glenconner reveals the real events behind The Crown as well as her own life of drama, tragedy and courage, with the wonderful wit and extraordinary resilience which define her.Anne Glenconner has been close to the Royal Family since childhood. Eldest child of the 5th Earl of Leicester, she was, as a daughter, described as 'the greatest disappointment' by her family as she was unable to inherit. Her childhood home Holkham Hall is one of the grandest estates in England. Bordering Sandringham the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were frequent playmates. From Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation to Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret, Lady Glenconner is a unique witness to royal history, as well as an extraordinary survivor of a generation of aristocratic women trapped without inheritance and burdened with social expectations. She married the charismatic but highly volatile Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner, who became the owner of Mustique. Together they turned the island into a paradise for the rich and famous, including Mick Jagger and David Bowie, and it became a favourite retreat for Princess Margaret. But beneath the glitz and glamour there has also lurked tragedy. On Lord Glenconner's death in 2010 he left his fortune to a former employee. And of their five children, two grown-up sons died, while a third son had to be nursed back from a coma by Anne, after having suffered a near fatal accident. Anne Glenconner writes with extraordinary wit, generosity and courage and she exposes what life was like in her gilded cage, revealing the role of her great friendship with Princess Margaret, and the freedom she can now finally enjoy in later life.Trade Review'Lady Glenconner's life story is a combination of royal magic, personal tragedy and resilient survival. With humour, courage and preternatural poise, she at last tells the story of her uniquely fascinating life' -- Tina Brown'I couldn't put it down. Funny and touching - like looking through a keyhole at a lost world' -- Rupert Everett'Anne Glenconner has written a remarkable memoir - containing, at last, a genuine portrait of Princess Margaret from one who knew her well. But this book is poignant too, and through the pages shine her courage and good-humoured acceptance of her demons and tragedies' -- Hugo Vickers'Remarkable . . . If your jaw doesn't drop at least three times every chapter, you've not been paying proper attention' * The Sunday Times *'A funny, sometimes tragic and disarmingly frank memoir . . . Lady in Waiting is gentle, wise, unpretentious, but above all inspiring' * The Times *'A startling, rare, beguiling insight into a lost world of royalty and celebrity with as many tears as there are titles' * Daily Express *'It's a total hoot - I couldn't put it down' -- Janet Street-Porter'Marvellous book . . . one's eyes were on stalks' -- Jan Moir * Daily Mail *'A romp of an autobiography' * The Times T2 *'[An] astounding memoir' -- India Knight * The Sunday Times Magazine *'A candid, witty and stylish memoir' -- Miranda Seymour * Financial Times *'An absolute hoot' * The Times *'This memoir made me laugh, wince, cry and gasp. For anyone who craves a bracing dose of the older generation's stiff upper lip, Anne Glenconner provides it.' -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail *'Wonderful' -- Janice Turner * The Times *'The insider memoir of the year' -- Julian Glover * Evening Standard *'A remarkable life, remarkably told' * The Sunday Times *'It's impossible not to admire her fortitude . . . funny and sometimes dazzling' -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *'Rollicking . . . [Lady in Waiting] paints such a rich picture of the aristocracy it's impossible not to marvel at the institution, both in admiration and horror' * Sydney Morning Herald *'This outlandish memoir drips with royal tidbits . . . but it's also insightful on the more damaging aspects of being a member of the British aristocracy. Sobering - and terrific fun' * Metro *'The author reads her own words in indomitable fashion, and anyone who enjoyed Craig Brown's life of Glenconner's former employer, Ma'am Darling, will find this fascinating.' * Financial Times *'This year's Ma'am Darling - the perfect book to curl up on the sofa with.' * The i *'This riveting read will leave you open-mouthed and hungry for more.' * Sunday Post *'Fascinating and beautifully written . . . I can't recommend [Glenconner's] book high enough' * Spectator *'Captivating' -- Catherine Bennett * Observer *'Beyond admirable' -- Sophie Money-Coutts * Sunday Telegraph *'Lady in Waiting has made me laugh and cry several times. I raced through it in 4 days. Book heaven' -- Fearne Cotton'Riveting life' -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *'Discretion and honour emerge as the hallmarks of Glenconner's career as a royal servant, culminating in this book which manages to be both candid and kind.' -- Kathryn Hughes * Guardian *'One of the most enjoyable books of 2019 . . . Anne Glenconner, now 87, captures a lost world in which she waited (with remarkable good grace) on Princess Margaret. Sometimes the best view of history is given by the minor characters' -- Allison Pearson * Sunday Telegraph *'Such a moving book' -- Bella Mackie'A riotous social document and a beautifully written account of a vivid life superbly lived' * The Critic *'Sparkling, endearing and alarming' * Times Literary Supplement *'[Lady in Waiting] has two things going for it: the first is that it is not what it seems; it is definitely not "a lavender sort of scented memoir" . . . Its other great strength is Glenconner herself' -- Hadley Freeman * Guardian *'Stalwart and disarmingly honest . . . emotion resonates through this delightful memoir' * The Wall Street Journal *'Lady Glenconner displays resilience of a different kind in her memoir about the astonishing ups and downs of her artistocratic life' * Mail on Sunday *'Funny, revelatory, poignant, occasionally jaw-dropping' * Sunday Times *'Anne Glenconner writes with wit, generosity and courage about her life in a gilded cage ... Fascinating!' * Platinum *'Finely drawn . . . Glenconner has an eye for detail' * London Review of Books *'The publishing sensation of 2019, this candid, wise, witty and gossip-filled memoir by Princess Margaret's 87-year-old former lady-in-waiting (and best friend) tells the true story behind the scenes in The Crown - and reminds us that, sometimes, it's the minor characters who give us the sharpest view of history' * Daily Telegraph *'A captivating account of a life lived with resilience and grace' * Daily Mail *'The stoical Lady G writes with infectious joy and optimism' * Daily Express *'If you're looking for something to read in lockdown, I can't recommend it highly enough' -- Lorraine Kelly'. . . tremendously touching. It's one of those books that make you long for bed so you can read more!' -- Jilly Cooper * Good Housekeeping *'This funny and touching read will allow you to take a peek inside the glamorous world and volatile life of an aristocrat' * Bella *

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Book SynopsisAt Warburg, Germany, in 1941, four British PoWs find an unexpected means of escape from the horrors of internment when they form a birdwatching society, and embark on an obsessive quest behind barbed wire.Through their shared love of birds, they overcome hunger, hardship, fear and stultifying boredom. Their quest draws in not only their fellow prisoners, but also some of the German guards, at great risk to them all...Derek Niemann draws on original diaries, letters and drawings, to tell of how Conder, Barrett, Waterston and Buxton were forged by their experiences as POWs into the giants of post war wildlife conservation. Their legacy lives on, in institutions such as the RSPB and the British Wildlife Trust.

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Book SynopsisJacob Rees-Mogg is one of the most prominent and controversial figures in contemporary British politics. He is a man who divides opinion in his own party, in Parliament and across the country. An arch-Brexiteer with significant business interests and a large personal fortune, he has long been a vocal critic of the European Union and of Prime Minister Theresa May’s attempts to negotiate a Brexit deal. As chairman of the powerful anti-EU organisation the European Research Group, he has also been a thorn in the side of those seeking to dilute Brexit. While many people mock him for his impeccable manners and traditional attitudes – he has been dubbed `the Honourable Member for the eighteenth century’ – an equally great number applaud him for his apparent conviction politics. Undoubtedly, Rees-Mogg stands out among the current crop of MPs and his growing influence cannot be ignored. In this wide-ranging unauthorised biography of the Conservative Member of Parliament for North East Somerset, Michael Ashcroft, bestselling author of Call Me Dave: The Unauthorised Biography of David Cameron, turns his attention to one of the most intriguing politicians of our time.

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Book SynopsisRemarkably honest, brutally heroic and darkly humorous memoir following a devastating diagnosis of early onset Parkinson's disease. Twitch is a frank and funny memoir about picking up the pieces when personal tragedy hits.

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Book SynopsisWhen world-class chef Pam first opened Inver, her restaurant on the shores of Loch Fyne, she set out to discover what makes ''modern Scottish food'' - or if it even existed. This book traces Pam''s journey to answer that question and in doing so reveals what we can all gather from our culinary heritage. Part memoir, part manifesto on the future of feeding the world and a feminist critique of the food business, it documents the difficult early days of her now multiple award-winning restaurant, reflecting on how the immersive experience of ''destination restaurants'' can both help and hinder our understanding of wider land and food culture.From the soil to the kitchen, Between Two Waters interrogates the influences on what we eat: capitalism, colonialism and gender, as well as our own personal and cultural histories. Yet it also captures with real heart all that the dinner table has to offer us: sustenance, both physical and imaginative, challenges and adventure and, mo

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Book SynopsisThe perfect guide to getting your personal finances in order, The Budgeting Journal is undated and can be started at any point in the year. Packed with tips and advice for how to keep on top of a budget and find peace of mind through managing your money.

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Book SynopsisTHE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, NOW WITH AN EXTRA CHAPTER!Essential reading' Guardian''A joyful read'' Sunday Times''Disarmingly honest'' Daily MirrorBravely revealing' Bernardine Evaristo''Filled with relatable insights'' Daily MailFunny, moving, helpful and true' Sathnam Sanghera''A generous guide to a part of life every bit as crucial as romance'' Observer?As a society, there is a tendency to elevate romantic love. But what about friendships? Aren''t they just as if not more important? So why is it hard to find the right words to express what these uniquely complex bonds mean to us?In this fascinating, insightful and uniquely moving book, Elizabeth Day embarks on a journey to find out. Friendaholic unpacks the significance and evolution of friendship from the ancient wisdom of Cicero to the modern curse of ghosting. How and why do we make friends? Is friendship an antidote to loneliness? How should we deal with a frenemy? And is it ok to end a friendship that has gone awry?Friendaholic examines what makes a good' friend and asks us what kind of friend we want to be to each other but also to ourselves.

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Book Synopsis'A woman can carry a bag, but it is the shoe that carries the woman' - Christian LouboutinAmong designers of luxury shoes, there is one whose designs are instantly recognizable: Christian Louboutin. His iconic red soles can be seen everywhere from the red carpet, the silver screen and the catwalk to city streets around the world.From his early life in Paris to the founding of his first store in 1992, and from the red carpet to his global domination of the luxury shoe market, Little Book of Christian Louboutin charts the rise of the world's most celebrated shoe designer. Images of his designs past and present are accompanied by captivating text, describing the rise and rise of the king of shoe design.Table of ContentsIntroduction • The Man • The Brand • The Heels • The Accessories • The Celebrities.

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Book Synopsis'This book is about one super-important concept. You must learn about 'Strategic Inflection Points', because sooner or later you are going to live through one.' - Steve Jobs There are moments in any business when massive change occurs, when all the rules shift fast and forever. They can make or break companies and individuals, and they can happen at any moment. Andrew Grove calls such moments strategic inflection points, and he lived through several as CEO of Intel, where he transformed the company into the world's largest computer chipmaker, and the 7th most profitable company in the Fortune 500. Drawing on decades of personal experience and insight, as well as examining timeless examples from other companies, Grove reveals how to identify and exploit the key moments of change that generate either drastic failure or incredible success. Only the Paranoid Survive is a classic lesson in leadership that anyone in any industry will benefit from. Because we must all assume that something will change - and soon.Trade ReviewThe best book on business * Forbes *This terrific book is dangerous ... It will make people think. -- Peter DruckerThe best manager in the world * Fortune *Common sense is probably the first thing you'll lose when you start on a strategic inflection curve. And then you'll need this book * Daily Telegraph *A great book on strategy -- Ben Horowitz, author of 'The Hard Thing About Hard Things'This book is about one super-important concept. You must learn about 'Strategic Inflection Points', because sooner or later you are going to live through one. -- Steve Jobs

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Book SynopsisA collection of wisdom and life lessons, from the beloved and bestselling author of I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS 'A brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman' BARACK OBAMADedicated to the daughter she never had but sees all around her, Letter to my Daughter reveals Maya Angelou's path to living well and living a life with meaning. Told in her own inimitable style, this book transcends genres and categories: it's part guidebook, part memoir, part poetry - and pure delight. 'She moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and a fierce grace . . . She will always be the rainbow in my clouds' OPRAH WINFREY 'She was important in so many ways. She launched African American women writing in the United States. She was generous to a fault. She had nineteen talents - used ten. And was a real original. There is no duplicate' TONI MORRISONTrade ReviewA brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman -- President Barack ObamaThe poems and stories she wrote . . . were gifts of wisdom and wit, courage and grace -- President Bill ClintonShe moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and a fierce grace . . . She will always be the rainbow in my clouds -- Oprah WinfreyShe was important in so many ways. She launched African American women writing in the United States. She was generous to a fault. She had nineteen talents - used ten. And was a real original. There is no duplicate -- Toni Morrison

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2017 SHORTLISTED FOR THE LONDON HELLENIC PRIZE 2017 WINNER OF THE PRIX MÉDITERRANÉE 2018From the award-winning, best-selling writer: a deeply moving tale of a father and son's transformative journey in reading and reliving Homer's epic masterpiece.When eighty-one-year-old retired scientist Jay unexpectedly enrols in his estranged classicist son Daniel's course on the Odyssey, the journey of a lifetime commences. Professor and student glean life lessons from the page over a semester and, that summer, son and father take to the sea to follow Odysseus's epic trail. Reading Homer becomes their chance to understand each other before it's too late. Theirs is a moving and erudite story of filial love and the importance of the classics. Rich with literary and emotional insight and weaving themes of deception and recognition, marriage and children, the pleasures of travel and the meaning of home, this is memoir writing at its finest.Trade Review‘A brilliant family memoir … At its core, it is a funny, loving portrait of a difficult but loving parent: … An Odyssey is a stellar contribution to the genre of memoirs about reading – literary analysis and the personal stories are woven together in a way that feels both artful and natural. A thoughtful book from which non-classicists will learn a great deal about Homer … A funny, loving portrait of a difficult but loving parent: a “much-turning man”’ Emily Wilson, Guardian ‘Combining an in-depth literary analysis with a personal narrative is a bold enterprise. An Odyssey could have been, in the hands of a lesser writer, grandiose. It isn’t. It is so well written that every page makes you feel more alert and alive. The brilliance of An Odyssey lies in the insightfulness of the writing, as Mendelsohn immerses himself in the Odyssey: lives it, breathes it, and presses it for meaning’ Helen Morales, TLS ‘There are a handful of books that have captured the pleasure and romance of this subject. Donna Tartt’s was one … this is another. Homer has a phrase for those who can speak bewitchingly: they have ‘winged words’. Mendelsohn has winged words’ The Times ‘The book enacts a truth that has long been central to Mendelsohn’s writing and teaching, which is that the great works of antiquity remain relevant today. His prose flits seamlessly across intervals and registers, switching from erudite exposition one minute to emotion-filled reminiscence the next. An accomplished, brave book that testifies to what is perhaps The Odyssey’s most abiding message: that intelligence has little value if it isn’t allied to love’ Observer ‘An exquisitely written book about fathers and sons, life and grief’ Mail on Sunday ‘Subtle, profoundly moving … an intricately constructed, multidimensional journey of a father and son and their travails through life and love … A book of shimmering, beautiful, dapple-skilled intelligence’ Adam Nicolson, New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisPenguin Weird Fiction: a celebration of the very best of the weird, a store of novels and tales that for generations have delighted and horrified. Sometime around the turn of the twentieth century, something happened, something... weird. In the dark halls of ivy-clad manors, in the ancient woodland escapes of New England, a generation of authors were inspired to radically reinterpret the horror and fantasy writing of the past. From the terrible plagues of Edgar Allan Poe to the religious terror of May Sinclair and on to the awful, tentacle-faced mythos of H.P. Lovecraft, this anthology celebrates the very best of this writing, a collection of brilliant tales that for generations have delighted and horrified. Escape from the prison-house of the known and the real into those enchanted lands of incredible adventure and infinite possibilities which dreams open up to us, and which things like deep woods, fantastic urban towers, and flaming sunsets momentarily suggest . . .' H.P. Lovecra

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Book SynopsisHELP! I am addicted to this series! UnputdownableAlex Pine has done it again! Another excellent crime thriller? I was hooked from the first page. Read it ? you won?t be disappointedAbsolutely gripping? I was on the edge of my seatTrade Review Praise for Alex Pine: ‘I loved this book! It is dark, gritty and thrilling … It is fast-paced and has you hooked from the first few pages. I devoured this book in two sittings.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Dang! Now this was one heck of a story! If you want suspense, thrills and chills, then this is your book!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A chilling page turner’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘WOW! This book had me hooked from the first page, I didn’t want to put it down and this was one of the twistiest and most complicated murder cases I’ve ever read about.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another fantastic book from Alex Pine!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I loved this book and enjoyed every minute of it. There were so many twists, turns and surprises on just about every page.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘DI James Walker is fast becoming a favourite of mine along with Alex Pine being one of my top authors.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Book SynopsisA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A VOGUE AND NEW STATESMAN BEST BOOK OF 2024AN OPRAH PICK OF THE YEAR 2024 'Obviously, Grief Is for People is about grief, but Sloane Crosley can't help being funny' GABRIELLE ZEVIN'A stunning investigation into the nature of loss' VOGUE'I am a Crosley fan and, to my mind, this is her best book: subtle, brutal and, amazingly, funny, with twists that made me catch my breath' SUNDAY TIMESFor most of her adult life, Sloane and Russell worked together and played together as they navigated the corridors of office life, the literary world, and the dramatic cultural shifts in New York City. One day, while Russell is still alive, Sloane's apartment is broken into. Along with her most prized possessions, the thief makes off with her sense of security, leaving a mystery in its place.When Russell dies exactly one month later, his suicide propels her on a wild quest to right the unrightable, to explore what constitutes family and possession as the city itself faces the

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Book SynopsisFrom the legendary whistle-blower who revealed the Pentagon Papers, the first insider exposé of the dangers of America's hidden, seventy-year-long nuclear policy.When former presidential advisor Daniel Ellsberg famously took the Pentagon Papers, he also took with him a cache of top-secret documents related to the United States'' nuclear program in the 1960s. Here, for the first time, he reveals the contents of those now-declassified documents and makes clear their shocking relevance for today.The Doomsday Machine is Ellsberg's account of the most dangerous arms build-up in the history of civilisation, the legacy of which threatens the very survival of humanity.Trade ReviewDaniel Ellsberg is an exceptionally informed doomster … The Doomsday Machine describes how nuclear-war planning, some of it unknown to presidents, brought the world closer to incineration than most people understand -- Max Hastings * Sunday Times *This long-awaited chronicle from the father of American whistle-blowing is both an urgent warning and a call to arms to a public that has grown dangerously habituated to the idea that the means of our extinction will forever be on hair-trigger alert -- Edward SnowdenNobody could have told this horrifying story better than Daniel Ellsberg. He introduces us to the men who have coldly and with a God-like sense of righteous entitlement, put in place a plan that can, on a whim - not virtually, but literally - annihilate life on Earth. What a book -- Arundhati Roy, anti-nuclear activist and author of THE MINISTRY OF UTMOST HAPPINESS and the Pulitzer Prize-winner THE GOD OF SMALL THINGSThe Doomsday Machine is not simply a work of history. It was not written to remind us of catastrophes narrowly averted. It is partly a memoir of Ellsberg’s years at Rand when he was working on nuclear strategy, but more a warning, delivered by an 86-year-old man who understands the urgency of the present. His memories provide a timely lesson precisely because the crisis he witnessed more than 50 years ago remains painfully relevant -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *Ellsberg’s effort to make vivid the genuine madness of the “doomsday machine”, and the foolishness of betting our survival on mutually assured destruction, is both commendable and important … Especially for young readers, by making earlier generations’ failures clear, The Doomsday Machine challenges them to rise to a grand and urgent opportunity -- Graham Allison * International New York Times *Gripping and unnerving ... A must-read of the highest order, Ellsberg's profoundly awakening chronicle is essential to our future -- Donna Seaman * Booklist (starred review) *Ellsberg’s brilliant and unnerving account makes a convincing case for disarmament and shows that the mere existence of nuclear weapons is a serious threat to humanity * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Noted gadfly Ellsberg returns with a sobering look at our nuclear capabilities . . . When the author hurriedly copied the contents of his RAND Corporation safe to reveal, in time, what would become known as the Pentagon Papers, that was just the start of it. He had other documents, even more jarring . . . Especially timely given the recent saber-rattling not from Russia but North Korea and given the apparent proliferation of nuclear abilities among other small powers. * Kirkus Reviews *An absolutely imperative read in this day and age of Trump, Putin, Kim Jong Un, and global instability. -- Helen Caldicott, Founding President, Physicians for Social ResponsibilityA fascinating and terrifying account of nuclear war planning by a consultant from the RAND Corporation at the highest levels of government in the Kennedy administration. Ellsberg tells us of the close calls with nuclear war and of the policies developed then that still threaten the planet with annihilation. I couldn't put the book down. -- Frances FitzGerald, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of FIRE IN THE LAKEA powerful testament for future students of a war that the United States should never have fought. * The Washington Post on SECRETS *An invaluable contribution to understanding one of our nation's darkest hours. * San Francisco Chronicle on SECRETS *Daniel Ellsberg risked everything to help end the Vietnam War . . . A real-life political thriller. * USA Today on SECRETS *

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Book Synopsis'[The Gulag Archipelago] helped to bring down an empire. Its importance can hardly be exaggerated' Doris Lessing, Sunday TelegraphWITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY NATALIA SOLZHENITSYNA vast canvas of camps, prisons, transit centres and secret police, of informers and spies and interrogators but also of everyday heroism, The Gulag Archipelago is Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's grand masterwork. Based on the testimony of some 200 survivors, and on the recollection of Solzhenitsyn's own eleven years in labour camps and exile, it chronicles the story of those at the heart of the Soviet Union who opposed Stalin, and for whom the key to survival lay not in hope but in despair.A thoroughly researched document and a feat of literary and imaginative power, this edition of The Gulag Archipelago was abridged into one volume at the author's wish and with his full co-operation.'Solzhenitsyn's masterpiece...The Gulag Archipelago helped create the world we live in today' Anne ApplebaumTHE OFFICIALLY APPROVED ABRIDGEMENT OF THE GULAG ARCHIPELAGO VOLUMES I, II & III

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Book Synopsis''A profoundly moving memoir which gripped me'' Mark HaddonDiscover Catherine Coldstream's evocative account of life as a nun in the 1990s, and the dramatic events which led to her flight from the monastery.After the shock of her father's death, twenty-four-year-old Catherine was left grieving and alone. A search for meaning led her to Roman Catholicism and the nuns of Akenside Priory.Here she found a tight-knit community of dedicated women and peace in an ancient way of life. But as she surrenders to her final vows, all is not as it seems behind the Priory's closed doors. Power struggles erupt with far-reaching consequences for those within.Catherine comes to realise that divine authority is mediated through flawed and all-too-human channels. She is faced with a dilemma: should she protect the serenity she has found, or speak out?A love song to a lost community and an honest account of her twelve years in the Order, Cloistered is also a cautionary tale about what can happen when good people cut themselves off from the wider world.Immersive, beautifully observed' Katherine May''I admired [Cloistered] enormously'' Sarah PerryAn intense and often theatrical read' Financial Times**A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK**

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Book Synopsis'A brilliantly written and incisive account of gay life' Colm Tóibín 'Each page made me yearn for the dance floor... I'm so glad that someone has written this definitive book about gay bars' Amelia Abraham, author of Queer Intentions Propulsive music and euphoric crowds; drag queens and go-go dancers; strobe lights, dark rooms and glory holes. Gay bars have long been sites of joy and solidarity, sexual expression and activism. But around the world, they are closing. Atherton Lin draws from his experiences of clubs, pubs and dives in London, San Francisco and Los Angeles - and a transatlantic romance that began late one restless night - to trace queer histories. An expansive and vivacious celebration of an institution, Gay Bar is also a stylish, intimate exploration of what these spaces mean, how they are changing and what we stand to lose when they close their doors. 'Essential' Vogue 'Expansive, exuberant and horny' AttitudeTrade ReviewA brilliantly written and incisive account of gay life in Los Angeles, San Francisco and London... Atherton Lin's book is a history lesson, a travelogue, but it is also a display of a rich sensibility, a kind of autobiography using bars as its thread -- Colm Tóibín * Guardian *I can't remember the last time I've been so happily surprised and enchanted by a book. An absolute tour de force -- Maggie Nelson, author of The ArgonautsEach page made me yearn for the dance floor and made me think about our need for queer spaces. I'm so glad that someone has written this definitive book about gay bars -- Amelia Abraham, author of Queer IntentionsSearching, erudite, and sexy. It wears its erudition with verve and grace, probing the past, the present, and the future of queer life while refusing easy binaries. Gay Bar is about pleasure, but is deeply serious too. One of the best books I have read in ages -- Katherine Angel, author of Daddy IssuesI am utterly blown away. We can never have enough complex, intersectional writing about queer experience, and this is a welcome, needed addition to the canon -- Niven Govinden, author of This Brutal HouseShot through with vibrant intellectual adrenalin. With keen original insight, Atherton Lin celebrates the gay bar as a site of ribald, sensuous and urgent resistance. A must-read for all -- Cathy Park Hong, author of Minor FeelingsLively and dirty, intellectual and gossipy, Gay Bar is the rare book that feels both like a guilty pleasure and like it is making you considerably smarter as you read. An important document of queer lives -- Michelle Tea, author of Black WavePainstakingly researched and tenderly written, Gay Bar marks queer bars as sites of resistance and reinvention. I longed for nothing more than to club hop with Atherton Lin -- Alex Espinoza, author of Cruising: An Intimate History of a Radical PastimeA book of rare dream-like power, an exacting anthropology of queer life through the lenses of London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Blackpool. Brainy, audacious, funny, vulnerable, and sexy -- Paul Lisicky, author of Later: My Life At the Edge of the WorldGay Bar exemplifies the multidimensionality Atherton Lin admires: it's at once erotically gamey and intellectually playful, combining soft porn with social theory, semen with semiotics... utterly unique -- Peter Conrad * Observer *Electric, immersive, and impossible to look away from... an illuminating, sexy, vibrant examination of place and identity * Buzzfeed *Playful, hilarious, arousing, shocking and challenging * The Face *Expansive, exuberant and horny * Attitude *A restless and intelligent cultural history of queer nightlife... Beautiful, and original * Parul Sehgal, New York Times *Gay Bar commemorates a way of life without reducing it to one thing or fixing it in time; rather, it revels in variety and incident * Edward Behrens, Literary Review *Gay Bar reads like a cult classic... Atherton Lin's writing vividly itches with the pulse, heat and chaos, the acceptance and rejection of gay nightlife * Paul Flynn, Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisExperience the action of Formula 1 through the eyes of an award-winning Team Strategist

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Book SynopsisRose Boyt was born in London and as a child lived on a cargo ship trading in the Baltic and beyond. With her mother and siblings she emigrated to the Caribbean, but the family was repatriated. She left home when she was fifteen and in the seventies began to take photographs and had a Saturday job at the punk shop Seditionaries. In the eighties she worked as a DJ and on the door of the Café De Paris, and is the author of three novels.

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Book SynopsisCEO Louis V. Gerstner Jr.'s memoir about the extraordinary turnaround of IBM and his transformation of the company into the industry leader of the computer age the great American business story of our time.When Louis V. Gerstner became CEO of IBM in 1993, shares had slumped and the company was on the verge of collapse. Hired for his successful management of RJR Nabisco and American Express, Gerstner had no background in technology, but during his seven-year chairmanship, he transformed the company into the leading force of the computer age. In his frank, direct voice, Gerstner recalls the obstacles he faced: the plans to fragment the company, the inconsistent global policies, the stodgy white-shirt hierarchy and inter-departmental competitiveness and the rapidly declining sales. Within months of joining IBM, Gerstner presented his bold and controversial business strategy. Punitive towards office politics, he revolutionised the company from within, altering an entire corporate culture,

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Book SynopsisA superb autobiography by one of the great literary figures of the twentieth century, Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter offers an intimate picture of growing up in a bourgeois French family, rebelling as an adolescent against the conventional expectations of her class, and striking out on her own with an intellectual and existential ambition exceedingly rare in a young woman in the 1920s. Simone de Beavoir describes her early life, from her birth in Paris in 1908 to her student days at the Sorbonne, where she met Jean-Paul sartre - ''the dream-companion I had longed for since I was fifteen''.

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Book SynopsisMalcolm X''s The Autobiography of Malcolm X was written in collaboration with Alex Haley, author of Roots, and includes an introduction by Paul Gilroy, author of The Black Atlantic, in Penguin Modern Classics.From hustling, drug addiction and armed violence in America''s black ghettos Malcolm X turned, in a dramatic prison conversion, to the puritanical fervour of the Black Muslims. As their spokesman he became identified in the white press as a terrifying teacher of race hatred; but to his direct audience, the oppressed American blacks, he brought hope and self-respect. This autobiography (written with Alex Haley) reveals his quick-witted integrity, usually obscured by batteries of frenzied headlines, and the fierce idealism which led him to reject both liberal hypocrisies and black racialism.Vilified by his critics as an anti-white demagogue, Malcolm X gave a voice to unheard African-Americans, bringing them pride, hope and fearlessness, and remains an inspirational and controversial figure.Malcolm X (1925-65), born Malcolm Little in Omaha, and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, lost both his parents at a young age. Leaving school early, he soon became part of Harlem''s underworld, and in 1946 he was sentenced to ten years'' imprisonment. It was in prison that Malcolm X converted to Islam. Paroled in 1952, he became an outspoken defender of Muslim doctrines, formed the Organization of Afro-American Unity in 1963, and had received considerable publicity by the time of his assassination in 1965.If you enjoyed The Autobiography of Malcolm X, you might like Nelson Mandela''s No Easy Walk to Freedom, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.''This extraordinary autobiography is a brilliant, painful, important book''The New York TimesTable of ContentsNightmare; mascot; "homeboy"; Laura; harlemite; Detroit red; hustler; trapped; caught; satan; saved; saviour; minister Malcolm X; Black Muslims; Icarus; out; Mecca; El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz; 1965.

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Book Synopsis'A mighty, panoramic history Firnhaber-Baker does a real service for those with an interest in France and England alike by providing a dexterous and engrossing account, a treasury for anyone with an interest in the royal, political and religious worlds of the high medieval period' Daily TelegraphThe sweeping story of one of the great epics of Europe's history: the rise and rise of the dynasty that dominated the Middle AgesStarting in the tenth century from an insecure foothold around Paris, the Capetians built a nation that stretched from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and from the Rhône to the Pyrenees. They founded practices and institutions that endured until the Revolution, transformed Paris from a muddy backwater to a splendid metropole, and popularized the fleur-de-lys, the lily, as the emblem of France. Time and again, their opponents woefully misjudged who they were up against, as through guile, ruthlessness, luck and marriage the Capetians disposed of them all. This is the story of the most powerful kingdom in Christendom. It is a tale of religious upheaval, heroism, adulterous affairs, holy wars, pogroms and persecution. From Hugh Capet to Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Capetians were men and women of vision and ambition, who considered themselves chosen by God to fulfil a great destiny. They did not simply rule France: they created it. House of Lilies is a highly enjoyable account of this extraordinary sequence of events, set against one of the great eras in the history of western Europe. Justine Firnhaber-Baker brilliantly conveys not only the cultural effervescence of the French court, but also the intellectual achievements, the battles and the religious fervour, as well as the series of catastrophes that led to the dynasty's ultimate demise.

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Book SynopsisOne of the BBC''s ''100 Novels That Shaped Our World''A beautiful edition of Anne Brontë''s most enduring novel, to accompany her sisters'' greatest books in Penguin Clothbound Classics.Gilbert Markham is deeply intrigued by Helen Graham, a beautiful and secretive young woman who has moved into nearby Wildfell Hall with her young son. He is quick to offer Helen his friendship, but when her reclusive behaviour becomes the subject of local gossip and speculation, Gilbert begins to wonder whether his trust in her has been misplaced. It is only when she allows Gilbert to read her diary that the truth is revealed and the shocking details of the disastrous marriage she has left behind emerge. Told with great immediacy, combined with wit and irony, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a powerful depiction of a woman''s fight for domestic independence and creative freedom. The Penguin Classics edition of Anne Brontë''s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall has been designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith and is edited with an introduction and notes by the novelist Stevie Davies.

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Book SynopsisA captivating selection of short stories in the original Japanese alongside their English translationsThis new dual-language edition of ten stories selected from The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories celebrates some of the very best Japanese literature from the past hundred years. Each story appears in the original Japanese alongside an expert English translation, providing unique cultural insight and literary inspiration for language learners. Ranging from a witty send-up of modern social graces to a powerful evocation of the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, this remarkable collection includes works from beloved authors Abe Akira, Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Betsuyaku Minoru, Hoshi Shin''ichi, Kawakami Mieko, Kono Taeko, Murakami Haruki, Oba Minako, Ota Yoko and Uchida Hyakken.

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Book SynopsisIn the depths of Antarctic winter, hundreds of miles from land or rescue, a small fishing boat is swallowed by waves as high as houses. The captain is fatally slow to act, and then paralyzed by fear. The officers flee for their lives. Only the actions of Matt Lewis, a 23-year-old British marine biologist and one of the most inexperienced men aboard, will save the lives of the South African crew.Lewis is the last man off the sinking boat, and leads the escape onto three life rafts. There the battle for survival begins.Trade ReviewThis is brilliant . . Told with terrifying detail and heartfelt compassion -- Dermot O'LearyA story that reminds us of the unforgiving nature of the sea and the courage that lies within the everyday heroes that have found themselves in hell -- Bear GryllsA dramatic tale of survival in one of the most brutal situations on earth. Feels like reading the diary of a doomed man . . . so personal and chillingly real; totally takes you there in a way that is not always comfortable -- Steve BackshallReads like a sinister version of The Perfect Storm...Thrilling, compelling, unsettling, rewarding . . . This breakneck race of a book isn't just required reading for fans of waterborne peril; Harvard MBAs could also scour the pages as a case study in dysfunctional workplaces and woeful man management. It's like the Perfect Storm, but with gruesomely, even murderously, imperfect people * Sunday Times *A heart-thumping tale of tragedy and survival - minus the Hollywood ending * Daily Telegraph *A thrilling, horrifying and compelling portrait of human survival. Colossal terror unfolds on every page * The Bookseller, Books of the Year *For his compelling account of the hardships of fishing in remote Antarctic waters, and of what it means to abandon ship in a severe storm with inadequate equipment and a crew unprepared for survival. The book is objective but non-judgmental in its descriptiveness, so heightening the true sense of disaster. The style makes the book accessible to a wide public, but it is also essential reading for seafarers, fishermen and yachtsmen, as it concerns attitudes to safety and survival. A truly life-affirming and influential work. * The Mountbatten Maritime Award for best literary contribution - Certificate of Merit *

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Book SynopsisDuring the ten years she lived at the edge of Putney Common Jilly Cooper walked daily on this expanse of green. The book is a distillation of those diaries: an affectionate and enthralling portrait - warts and all - of life on Putney Common. more tellingly about the sorrows - as well as the joys - of caring for dogs and children;Trade ReviewMiss Cooper's life is a curiously endearing mixture of Joyce Grenfell and August Strindberg - endlessly gracious neighbourly occasions undercut and made bearable by a home life of wonderfully chaotic neurosis and catastrophes - highlighted by sudden and marvellous insights into neighbours and former friends -- Sheridan MorleyAn entrancing book -- Lynda Lee-Potter * Daily Mail *A brilliant and beloved book and absolutely unputdownable -- Elizabeth LongfordSo observant... a delightful book -- Valerie Singleton * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewBook of the week * MoneyWeek *A thrilling, head-spinning book... Money Men hugely rewards the reader when you get the scoop alongside McCrum - you are close to punching the air... A fine testament to the importance of quality journalism. * Irish Times *The best book I read this year was Money Men... It reads like a thriller as he painstakingly exposes the tissue of lies, false accounting and mythical acquisitions that lie behind the company's respectable facade... Brilliant stuff. -- Books of the Year * The Tablet *Well worth your time -- Richard Fletcher * The Times *A fraud so audacious it took the company's auditor, Ernst & Young, years to believe it... McCrum's account may read like a crime drama, but really it is a testament to old-school reporting... At a time when social media is increasingly causing facts to be regarded as beside the point, it is a reminder that the truth is always worth chasing. * New Statesman *McCrum was more responsible than anyone else for the exposure and eventual collapse of the hugely fraudulent payment company... A cross between the Enron scandal and Rosemary's Baby. -- John Lanchester * London Review of Books *Money Men is a rollercoaster read that reveals everything that's wrong with our financial system. Dan McCrum and his colleagues at the FT deserve medals for their tenacious battle to expose the dark heart of Wirecard - the enormous fraud and money laundering machine with shadowy ties. -- Catherine Belton, author of Putin's PeopleDan McCrum's deep dive into Wirecard was the financial investigation of the decade. Money Men tells the story from inside Wirecard's headquarters with entertaining drama and verve, but it also unspools the high-stakes reporting process McCrum and his colleagues carried out at the Financial Times against the odds. It instantly enters the canon of great financial crime books. -- Bradley Hope, co-author of New York Times bestseller Billion Dollar WhaleWhat a wild ride! Going head to head with powerful executives, their teams of lawyers and intelligence operatives, Dan McCrum has uncovered one of the biggest economic scandals in Europe. Money Men reads like a thriller, but it's all true. -- Frederik Obermaier, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and co-author of The Panama PapersThe culmination of years of careful investigative work... A gripping tale. * Evening Standard *Wirecard might still be one of Europe's most feted tech firms, were it not for a small band of sceptics - including Dan McCrum... Wirecard fought back viciously and dirtily ... Money Men should be required reading for investors and financial regulators. It is a compelling case study of a seemingly eternal truth: when a business is built on lies, there are always clues. * Economist *A fantastic book. Think of Dan as a bespectacled James Bond with a keyboard instead of a gun. * Steve Clapham, author of The Smart Money Method *This behind-the-scenes look into the years of work and the persistence that was required to topple Wirecard is nothing short of incredible. * AltFi *Money Men is a rip-roaring ride into the underworld of the global economy. Dan McCrum is a proper reporter: there is no threat, con trick or hangover that will stand in his way. In today's pandemic of lies, courageous journalism like this is the medicine. -- Tom Burgis, Sunday Times bestselling author of KleptopiaA milestone in the history of investigative journalism. -- Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany, awarding the Reporters Forum Reporterpreis

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Book SynopsisShot through with Stoppard's voice, and illuminating all his plays, Lee's gripping narrative draws on unprecedented access to archive material, interviews and long conversations with Stoppard himself. She traces the dramatic story of his family's flight from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, his sudden leap to fame, his personal life and his dazzling successes. A riveting account of a very public and very private man.

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Book SynopsisThe classic text, now with all the illustrations from the first edition. Ring of Bright Water is an account of the author's life at Camusfearna, a remote cottage in the western Highlands of Scotland. This book also focuses on the two otters, Mijbil and Edal, who became his constant and much-loved companions.

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Book SynopsisSarah Moss has written several novels including the Sunday Times top ten bestseller Summerwater, and Ghost Wall, which was longlisted for the Women's Prize. She has also written a memoir of her year living in Iceland. She was born in Glasgow and grew up in the north of England. After moving between Oxford, Canterbury, Reykjavik, west Cornwall and the Midlands, she now lives in Dublin, where she teaches English and creative writing at UCD.

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