First World War fiction

Book SynopsisWINNER OF WATERSTONES NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARDA TOP FIVE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS DEBUT OF THE YEAR If you haven't read it, you're missing out' Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY ''One of the best debuts I''ve read in recent years . . . please rush out and buy it'' ELIZABETH DAY______________________In 1914, war feels far away to Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood. They''re too young to enlist, and anyway, Gaunt is fighting his own private battle - an all-consuming infatuation with the dreamy, poetic Ellwood - not having a clue that his best friend is in love with him too.When Gaunt''s mother asks him to enlist, he signs up immediately, relieved to escape his overwhelming feelings. But Ellwood and their classmates soon follow him to the front. Ellwood and Gaunt find love in the trenches but just as war brought them together, it can tear them apartAn epic, unforgettable love story between two soldiers in the First World War, In Memoriam is a breath-taking debut.______________________''A genuine page-turner'' Sunday Times''BIRDSONG for a new generation'' JOANNA QUINN, author of THE WHALEBONE THEATRE''I can''t remember the last time I was this invested in a love story'' Sunday Telegraph''Assured, affecting and moving'' MAGGIE O''FARRELL, author of HAMNETWill smash your heart to smithereens'' Daily MailTHE TOP FIVE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, March 2023

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Book SynopsisA country houseA murderA Belgian detectiveAfter the Great War, life can never be the same again.Captain Arthur Hastings is invited to Styles To recuperate from injuries sustained at the Front. It is the last place he expects to encounter murder.Fortunately he knows a former detective, a Belgian refugee, who happens to be staying nearby . . .Here, for the first time, meet Agatha Christie's legendary creation: Hercule PoirotTrade Review‘Almost too ingenious … very clearly and brightly told.’Times Literary Supplement ‘Very well contrived.’Sunday Times ‘Altogether a skilful tale and a talented first book.’Daily News ‘The most ingenious and absorbingly interesting tale of sensations and mystery we have read for a long time.’Bookman ‘Well written, well proportioned, and full of surprises. Lovers of good stories will, without exception, rejoice in this book.’The British Weekly

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2022SHORTLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2022From one of our greatest living writers comes a sweeping novel of unrequited love and exile, war and family.The Magician tells the story of Thomas Mann, whose life was filled with great acclaim and contradiction. He would find himself on the wrong side of history in the First World War, cheerleading the German army, but have a clear vision of the future in the second, anticipating the horrors of Nazism.He would have six children and keep his homosexuality hidden; he was a man forever connected to his family and yet bore witness to the ravages of suicide. He would write some of the greatest works of European literature, and win the Nobel Prize, but would never return to the country that inspired his creativity.Through one life, Colm Tóibín tells the breathtaking story of the twentieth century.___________________________________''As with everything Colm Tóibín sets his masterful hand to, The Magician is a great imaginative achievement -- immensely readable, erudite, worldly and knowing, and fully realized'' - Richard Ford''No living novelist dramatizes artistic creation as profoundly, as luminously, as Colm Tóibín . . . reading him is among the deepest pleasures our literature can offer'' - Garth Greenwell''This is not just a whole life in a novel, it''s a whole world'' - Katharina VolckmerTrade ReviewThis is an enormously ambitious book, one in which the intimate and the momentous are exquisitely balanced. It is the story of a man who spent almost all of his adult life behind a desk or going for sedate little post-prandial walks with his wife. From this sedentary existence Tóibín has fashioned an epic * Guardian *I love everything Colm Tóibín has written and The Magician is another masterpiece . . . Historical fiction at its best -- Nicola Sturgeon * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Sumptuous and satisfying * The Times, A Best Fiction Book of 2021 *The Magician, recreates as biographical fiction the life, thoughts and achievements of Thomas Mann. It is dark, beautifully constructed and, I think, as near as one author can get to entering the mind of another -- Melvyn Bragg * New Statesman, Books of the Year *The Magician uses the life of Thomas Mann to explore the complex relationships between intimacy and history, public and private lives, and the slippery nature of creativity itself. I found it mesmerising -- Fintan O’Toole * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Taking on Thomas Mann is no easy task, but Tóibín's fictional account of the inner life of the great German novelist is masterful -- Frederick Studemann * FT, Best Books of 2021: Critics’ Picks *The Magician is not a biography but a work of art, an emotional reckoning with a century of change, centred on a man who tried to stand upright but was swayed by the winds of that change * The Times *In a novel of many moods, its every page rings true * Mail on Sunday *An expansive yet deeply personal exploration of the life of exiled German writer Thomas Mann . . . Containing beautiful observations on life and literature, and a sweeping sense of historical scale, The Magician remains tightly written and wryly funny * Independent *Both epic and intimate, The Magician is most successful in its moving portrait of three generations of sprawling, loving, fractious family life . . . a triumph * Financial Times *A triumph * Daily Telegraph *A sweeping overview of Thomas Mann's life -- Justine Jordan * Guardian, Best Fiction of 2021 *The Irish novelist famed for Brooklyn imagines the world of the German Nobel-winning writer Thomas Mann and his secret desire for handsome young men, in what the Times reviewer John Self says is his best novel yet * The Times, Best Books of 2021 *As with everything Colm Tóibín sets his masterful hand to, The Magician is a great imaginative achievement -- immensely readable, erudite, worldly and knowing, and fully realized -- Richard FordColm Tóibín has already written several truly extraordinary novels. The Magician may be the very best of them * Sunday Independent *The Magician is a remarkable achievement. Mann himself, one feels certain, would approve -- John BanvilleThis graceful novel is a moving and intimate portrait by one master of another . . . It is a stunning tribute to the great man, and a vital story for now -- Anna FunderA masterpiece, vast and luminous . . . witty and profound and truthful -- Tessa HadleyExtensively researched and lyrically wrought . . . a complex but empathetic portrayal of a writer in a lifelong battle against his innermost desires, his family and the tumultuous times they endure * Time, Best Books of Fall 2021 *No living novelist dramatizes artistic creation as profoundly, as luminously, as Colm Tóibín, or conveys so well the entanglement of imagination and desire . . . Reading him is among the deepest pleasures our literature can offer -- Garth Greenwell, author of Cleanness and What Belongs to YouThis is not just a whole life in a novel, it's a whole world - with all its wonders, tragedies and sacrifices. I loved every page of this beautiful and immersive journey into The Magician's mind -- Katharina Volckmer, author of The AppointmentToibin's symphonic and moving novel humanizes [Mann] . . . Maximalist in scope but intimate in feeling * New York Times *Mr. Tóibín wields a dramatically stripped-down prose style . . . epiphanies, when they come, are all the more powerful after so much restraint . . . What Mr. Tóibín's exquisitely sensitive novel gets right, in a way that biography rarely does, is its acknowledgement of unknowability * Wall Street Journal *A haunting and heartrendingly intimate portrait of its protagonist, the German writer Thomas Mann, and a richly drawn sense of place . . . [a] vast and stunningly realized world . . . you'll find yourself savouring every page * Vogue, a Most Anticipated Book of Fall *An incisive and witty novel that shows what good company the Nobelist and his family might have been * Washington Post *It's a work of huge imaginative sympathy . . . quite thrilling . . . it takes a writer of Tóibín's calibre to understand how the seemingly inconsequential details of life can be transmogrified, turned into art * New York Times Book Review *The hallmarks of Tóibín's diaphanous prose - stillness, precision, intimacy- remain intact despite the wideranging, voluminous material of Mann's biography . . . in a quietly epic tale, Tóibín expertly captures the layers of a richly multiple self and surely reasserts his own status as one of our greatest living novelists * i *Wonderful . . . a very accomplished and enjoyable novel * Scotsman *Simultaneously intimate and transnational . . . this is deeply engaging, serious and beautiful writing that carries its echoing questions with grace * Irish Times *Compelling . . . Superb characterisation and sharp insights throughout make this an immensely enjoyable novel * Daily Mirror *Intelligent and enthralling * Scotsman *The Magician, Colm Tóibín's new novel about Mann, resists the shallow gestures of Hollywood biopics, reaching for something mainstream film couldn't get at, or wouldn't bother with. How does an artist create, and can a true artist live as the rest of us do? -- Rumaan Alam * Vulture *This meticulously woven novel re-creates the life of Thomas Mann . . . An ode to a 20th-century genius and a feat of literary sorcery in its own right * Oprah Magazine *The personal and public history is compelling . . . an intriguing view of a writer who well deserves another turn on the literary stage * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *[The Magician] vibrates with the strength of Mann's visions and the sublimity of Tóibín's mellifluous prose. Tóibín has surpassed himself * Publishers Weekly, starred review *This vibrates with the strength of Mann's visions and the sublimity of Tóibín's mellifluous prose. Tóibín has surpassed himself * Publishing News *Compelling . . . Tóibín succeeds in conveying his fascination with the Magician, as his children called him, who could make sexual secrets vanish beneath a rich surface life of family and uncommon art . . . intriguing * Kirkus Reviews, starred review *Employing luxurious prose that quietly evokes the tortured soul behind these literary masterpieces, Tóibín has an unequalled gift for mapping the interior of genius * Booklist, starred review *Literary lovers will want to sink into this absorbing reimagining of the life of the Nobel Prize-winning German writer Thomas Mann . . . Mann family members have their own struggles - with each other and a world where they rarely feel at home - all vividly brought to life * AARP *You don't have to be a Thomas Mann fan to be gripped by the account of his life that author Colm Tóibín delivers in his new novel . . . [Tóibín's] his biggest triumph is in getting to the heart of Mann's dilemma * Seattle Times *A celebration of what novels can do * Observer on ‘House of Names’ *Devastatingly human . . . savage, sordid and hauntingly believable * Guardian on 'House of Names' *Tremendous, richly beautiful, wonderful . . . it does everything we ought to ask of a great novel * Tessa Hadley, Guardian, on ‘Nora Webster’ *Subtle and enthralling * Sunday Times, on ‘Nora Webster’ *

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Book SynopsisIn 1914, a room full of German schoolboys, fresh-faced and idealistic, are goaded by their schoolmaster to troop off to the 'glorious war'. With the fire and patriotism of youth, they sign up. What follows is the story of a young 'unknown soldier' experiencing the horror and disillusionment of life in the trenches.Trade ReviewRemarque's evocation of the horrors of modern warfare has lost none of its force * The Times *Remarque is a craftsman of unquestionably first rank * New York Times Book Review *There are some books that should be read by every generation... Remarque's story of German trench soldiers of the 1914-18 war gains even more authority in the context of the loss of life in wars that still rageBrian Murdoch's new English translation shows that Remarque's evocation of the horrors of modern warfare has lost none of its force * The Times *The book conquers without persuading, it shakes you without exaggerating, a perfect work of art and at the same time truth that cannot by doubted

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Book SynopsisThe modern classic of contemporary war fiction from Women''s Prize-shortlisted author of The Silence of the Girls, Regeneration is a powerfully moving portrait of the deep legacy of human trauma in the First World War. RECOMMENDED BY RICHARD OSMANCraiglockhart War Hospital, Scotland, 1917, and army psychiatrist William Rivers is treating shell-shocked soldiers. Under his care are the poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, as well as mute Billy Prior, who is only able to communicate by means of pencil and paper. Rivers''s job is to make the men in his charge healthy enough to fight. Yet the closer he gets to mending his patients'' minds the harder becomes every decision to send them back to the horrors of the front. Pat Barker''s Regeneration is the classic exploration of how the traumas of war brutalised a generation of young men.''Brilliant, intense and subtle'' Peter Kemp, Sunday Times''One of the strongest and most interesting novelists of her generation'' Guardian''Unforgettable'' Sunday TelegraphThe Regeneration trilogy:RegenerationThe Eye in the DoorThe Ghost RoadTrade ReviewA brilliant novel. Intense and subtle -- Peter Kemp Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisDon’t miss the thrilling new novel from Kate Quinn, The Briar Club, coming July 9th! New York Times and USA Today BestsellerAn NPR''s Best Book of the Year A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick!The 2017 Girly Book Club Book of the Year!A Summer Book Pick from Good Housekeeping, Parade, Library Journal, Goodreads, Liz and Lisa, and BookBubIn this enthralling novel from New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn, two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption. 1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being throwTrade Review"This fast-paced story offers courageous heroines, villains you love to hate, and dramatic life-or-death stakes. A compelling blend of historical fiction, mystery, and women's fiction, Quinn's complex story and engaging characters have something to offer just about everyone." -- Library Journal (starred review) "Amazing historical fiction... a must read!" -- Historical Novel Society, Editor's Choice "...Kate Quinn announces herself as one of the best artists of the genre. The plotting is seamless, the pace breathtaking, and the prose is both vivid and laced with just the right amount of details. Fans of historical fiction, spy fiction and thrilling drama will love every moment..." -- BookPage "Lovingly crafted and brimming with details, readers are sure to be held in Quinn's grip watching as the characters evolve. Powerful reading you can't put down!" -- RT Book Reviews (top pick) "Kate Quinn delivers an enthralling tale filled with breath-taking narrative that will make the reader feel as if they're in the back of the roadster, riding along with the raucous Eve and courageous Charlie on their clandestine adventures. Suspenseful and engrossing, THE ALICE NETWORK is a must-read!" -- Heather Webb, Author of Rodin's Lover "Kate Quinn strums the chords of every human emotion with two storylines that race over continents and through decades to converge in one explosive ending." -- Marci Jefferson, author of Enchantress of Paris "The Alice Network... perfectly balances a propulsive plot, faultlessly observed period detail, and a cast of characters so vividly drawn that I half expected to blink and see them standing in front of me. This is historical fiction at its best--thrilling, affecting, revelatory." -- Jennifer Robson, international bestselling author of Moonlight Over Paris "Both funny and heartbreaking, this epic journey of two courageous women is an unforgettable tale of little-known wartime glory and sacrifice. Quinn knocks it out of the park with this spectacular book!" -- Stephanie Dray, author of America's First Daughter "A powerful story filled with daring and intrigue, The Alice Network will hook readers from the first page and take them on an unforgettable journey." -- Chanel Cleeton, author of Next Year in Havana "Line for line, one of the best books I've read in a long time. Loyal and brave, the women of THE ALICE NETWORK are brilliantly revealed by Kate Quinn's exquisite storytelling and prose. I loved every word! A must read for fans of WWI and WWII fiction." -- Renee Rosen, author of Windy City Blues

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Book SynopsisKen Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales. Barred from watching films and television by his parents, he developed an early interest in reading thanks to a local library. After studying philosophy at University College London, he became involved in centre-left politics, entering into journalism soon after. His first thriller, the wartime spy drama Eye of the Needle, became an international bestseller and has sold over 10 million copies. He then astonished everyone with his first historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth, the story of the building of a medieval cathedral, which went on to become one of the most beloved books of the twentieth century. One of the most popular authors in the world, his many books including the Kingsbridge series and the Century trilogy - a body of work which together chronicles over a thousand years of history - and his latest novel Never - which envisages how World War III could happen - have sold more than 188 million copies. A father and husband, Ken lives with his wife in England and enjoys travelling the world when he can.

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Book SynopsisErnest''s Hemingway''s powerful autobiographical story of war.''I don''t live at all when I''m not with you''In 1918 Ernest Hemingway went to war. He volunteered for ambulance service in Italy, was wounded and twice decorated. Out of his experience came A Farewell to Arms, Hemingway''s unforgettable war novel.Recreating the fear, the comradeship, the courage of his young American volunteer, and the men and women he meets in Italy, this is a story of war told with simplicity and immediacy. It is also a love story of immense drama and uncompromising passion.''A novel of great power'' Times Literary Supplement''In these troubled times Hemingway''s clarity, spirituality and sense of hard reality in the midst of confusion is very helpful'' Sunday TelegraphTrade ReviewFlawless... such mastery of narrative, imagery and feeling, the prerequisites for great prose * Guardian *It seems such simple and straightforward language, but it isn't. The first chapter of A Farewell to Arms is only two and a bit pages but there is almost every variety of sentence structure. It is incredibly artful writing, and part of the art is disguising that it is artful * Guardian *There is something so complete in Mr. Hemingway's achievement in A Farewell to Arms that one is left speculating as to whether another novel will follow in this manner, and whether it does not complete both a period and a phase...crisply natural and convincing * Guardian, 1929 *A novel of great power * Times Literary Supplement *Essential Hemingway...a gripping account of the life of an American volunteer in the Italian army and a poignant love story * Daily Express *

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Book Synopsis1913 Lydia Miller, daughter of a German doctor, is training to become a nurse when she first meets debonair Robert Ravening, the nephew of a Lord and a keen aviator and promptly falls in love. When the Great War begins in 1914, Robert enlists with the Royal Flying Corps and as a nurse, determined to help all she can, Lydia is sent to France. But her love affair with Robert has more than one consequence as secrets and sins are disclosed. Also being both British and German Lydia finds herself in No Man’s Land, suspected by one and imprisoned by the other.Previously published as Home for Christmas Praise for Lizzie Lane:'A gripping saga and a storyline that will keep you hooked' Rosie Goodwin'The Tobacco Girls is another heartwarming tale of love and friendship and a must-read for all saga fans.' Jean Fullerton'Lizzie Lane opens the door to a past of factory girls, redolent with life-affirming friendship, drama, and choices that are as relevant today as they were then.' Catrin Collier'If you want an exciting, authentic historical saga then look no further than Lizzie Lane.' Fenella J Miller

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Book SynopsisAn heir hunter in modern-day Edinburgh searches out the rightful inheritor to a dead man's fortune an investigation that will lead him to the battlefields of WWI France, and the mystery of a six-man firing squad . . .Trade ReviewA profound and moving book * Woman's Weekly *The characterisation is great and the atmosphere powerful. The bored and fractious platoon is wonderfully evoked. * Daily Mail *Skilful juggling of the twin timelines in this engaging mystery reveals a darkness at its core * Sunday Times Crime Club *Riveting . . . A deftly woven, moving plot * Woman & Home *Richly enjoyable. Paulson-Ellis writes with verve and vividness, also with sympathy. * The Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisBY THE WINNER OF THE 2021 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION LONGLISTED FOR THE 2021 WALTER SCOTT PRIZE ‘Riveting and heartbreaking ... A compelling novel, one that gathers close all those who were meant to be forgotten, and refuses their erasure’ Maaza Mengiste, Guardian ‘A brilliant and important book for our times, by a wondrous writer’ Philippe Sands, New Statesman, Books of the Year _______________ While he was still a little boy, Ilyas was stolen from his parents by the German colonial troops. After years away, fighting in a war against his own people, he returns to his village to find his parents gone, and his sister Afiya given away. Another young man returns at the same time. Hamza was not stolen for the war, but sold into it; he has grown up at the right hand of an officer whose protection has marked him life. With nothing but the clothes on his back, he seeks only work and security – and the love of the beautiful Afiya. As fate knots these young people together, as they live and work and fall in love, the shadow of a new war on another continent lengthens and darkens, ready to snatch them up and carry them away… _______________ ‘One of the world’s most prominent postcolonial writers … He has consistently and with great compassion penetrated the effects of colonialism in East Africa and its effects on the lives of uprooted and migrating individuals’ Anders Olsson, chairman of the Nobel Committee ‘In book after book, he guides us through seismic historic moments and devastating societal ruptures while gently outlining what it is that keeps those families, friendships and loving spaces intact, if not fully whole’ Maaza Mengiste ‘Rarely in a lifetime can you open a book and find that reading it encapsulates the enchanting qualities of a love affair ... One scarcely dares breathe while reading it for fear of breaking the enchantment’ The TimesTrade ReviewAn aural archive of a lost Africa ... alive with the unexpected. In it, an obliterated world is enthrallingly retrieved * Sunday Times *From the first assured pages of Afterlives, a book of quiet beauty and tragedy, it is clear one is in the hands of a master storyteller * Financial Times *A tender account of the extraordinariness of ordinary lives, Afterlives combines entrancing storytelling with writing whose exquisite emotional precision confirms Gurnah’s place among the outstanding stylists of modern English prose. Like its predecessors, this is a novel that demands to be read and reread, for its humour, generosity of spirit and clear-sighted vision of the infinite contradictions of human nature * Evening Standard *Riveting and heartbreaking ... A compelling novel, one that gathers close all those who were meant to be forgotten, and refuses their erasure. -- Maaza Mengiste * Guardian *In clean, measured prose, Gurnah zooms in on individual acts of violence ... and unexpected acts of kindness. Affecting in its ordinariness, Afterlives is a compelling exploration of the urge to find places of sanctuary * Daily Telegraph *A remarkable novel, by a wondrous writer, deeply compelling, a thread that links our humanity with the colonial legacy that lies beneath, in ways that cut deep -- Philippe SandsTo read Afterlives is to be returned to the joy of storytelling as Abdulrazak Gurnah takes us to the place where imagined lives collide with history. In prose as clear and as rhythmic as the waters of the Indian Ocean, the story of Hamza and Afiya is one of simple lives buffeted by colonial ambitions, of the courage it takes to endure, to hold oneself with dignity, and to live with hope in the heart -- Aminatta FornaEffortlessly compelling storytelling ... Gurnah excels at depicting the lives of those made small by cruelty and injustice ... A beautiful, cruel world of bittersweet encounters and pockets of compassion, twists of fate and fluctuating fortunes ... You forget that you are reading fiction, it feels so real -- Leila AboulelaGurnah is a master storyteller -- Aminatta Forna * Financial Times *As beautifully written and pleasurable as anything I've read ... The work of a maestro * Guardian *Rarely in a lifetime can you open a book and find that reading it encapsulates the enchanting qualities of a love affair ... one scarcely dares breathe while reading it for fear of breaking the enchantment * The Times *Many layered, violent, beautiful and strange ... a poetic and vividly conjured book about Africa and the brooding power of the unknown * Independent on Sunday *A powerfully evocative oeuvre that keeps coming back to the same questions, in spare, graceful prose, about the ties that bind and the ties that fray * Daily Telegraph *A vibrant and vivid novel which shows human beings in all their generosity and greed, pettiness and nobility, so that even minor characters seem capable of carrying entire novels all by themselves * Herald *Abdulrazak Gurnah is a master of his craft ... An intricate, delicate novel, vitally necessary * New Internationalist *

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Book SynopsisIt was the war to end all wars, the global struggle that would finally make the world safe for democracy - at any cost. But one American soldier has paid a price beyond measure. And within the disfigured flesh that was once a vision of youth lives a spirit that cannot accept what the world has become. An immediate bestseller upon its first publication in 1939, Trumbo''s stark, profoundly troubling masterpiece about the horrors of the First World War brilliantly crystallized the uncompromising brutality of war and became the most influential protest novel of the Vietnam era. As timely as ever.Trade Review'Powerful ... an eye-opener' - Michael Moore 'A book that can never be forgotten by anyone who reads it' Saturday Review

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Book SynopsisIn 1918 Ernest Hemingway went to war, to the ''war to end all wars''. He volunteered for ambulance service in Italy, was wounded and twice decorated. Out of his experiences came his early masterpiece, A Farewell to Arms. In an unforgettable depiction of war, Hemingway recreates the fear, the comradeship, the courage of his young American volunteers and the men and women he encounters along the way with conviction and brutal honesty. A love story of immense drama and uncompromising passion, A Farewell to Arms offers a unique and unflinching view of the world and people, by the winner of the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature.Trade ReviewFlawless... such mastery of narrative, imagery and feeling, the prerequisites for great prose * Guardian *It seems such simple and straightforward language, but it isn't. The first chapter of A Farewell to Arms is only two and a bit pages but there is almost every variety of sentence structure. It is incredibly artful writing, and part of the art is disguising that it is artful * Guardian *There is something so complete in Mr. Hemingway's achievement in A Farewell to Arms that one is left speculating as to whether another novel will follow in this manner, and whether it does not complete both a period and a phase...crisply natural and convincing * Guardian, 1929 *A novel of great power * Times Literary Supplement *Essential Hemingway...a gripping account of the life of an American volunteer in the Italian army and a poignant love story * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisThe sequel to All Quiet on the Western Front, one of the most powerful novels of the First World War and a twentieth-century classic. After four gruelling years the survivors of the Great War finally make their way home. Young, spirited Ernst is one. Finding himself inexplicably returned to his childhood bedroom, restless, chafing, confused, he knows he must somehow resurrect his life. But the way back to peace is far more treacherous than he ever imagined. If All Quiet on the Western Front was a lament for a lost generation, this sequel speaks with the same resonant voice for those who came back.The is a new definitive English translation by expert Remarque translator Brian Murdoch. ‘Remarque is a craftsman of unquestionably first rank’ New York Times Book ReviewTrade ReviewRemarque is a craftsman of unquestionably first rank -- New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of the blockbuster Horrible Histories series, which is now a TV show and movie, and has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.''Deary''s storytelling is simple, historically accurate and compelling.'' (The i newspaper on The Silver Hand) Horrible Histories author Terry Deary presents an exciting collection of tales from the First World War based on thrilling true stories four books in one! Perfect for history fans (and those who don''t know they''re history fans yet) aged 7+. The War Game: Flanders, 1914. The German and British soldiers in the trenches make an unofficial Christmas truce, with carols and a football match. But the officers aren''t happy...The Bomber Balloon: November 1916 the war on the Home Front. A German Zeppelin crashes during a raid on Essex. Can a constable and a schoolgirl round up the armed air crew?The Last Flight: France 1917 the war in the air. An air observer is shot down behind enemy lines and meets the German flying ace, the famous Red Baron.The Pigeon Spy: Flanders, 1918. The extraordinary true story of a pigeon, a black bird called Cher Ami, who saved nearly 200 lives.Terry Deary's Terrible True Tales: First World War explores the First World War through the eyes of children and real people who could have lived at the time. Packed with thoughtful illustrations by James de la Rue, these stories feature real people and take place in some of the most recognisable First World War settings. Featuring notes for the reader to help extend learning and exploration of the historical period.

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Book Synopsis[A] deservedly award-studded delight Strong Words Magazine ‘A smart, scathing and bleakly funny cross of folk horror, satire and historical fiction’ Toronto Star ‘Reads like a modern fairy tale’ New York Journal of Books 'Eerie and sensual' The Guardian 'So original, so beautifully done, and sinister and savage. I didn’t want it to end' Chris Whitaker Franck and Lise, a French couple in the film industry, rent a cottage in the quiet hills of the French Lot to get away from the stresses of modern life. In this remote corner of the world, there is no phone signal. A mysterious dog emerges, looking for a new master. Ghosts of a dark past run wild in these hills, where a German lion tamer took refuge in the First World War … Franck and Lise are confronted with nature at its most brutal. And they are about to discover that man and beast have more in common than they think. A literary sensation in France, Wild Dog is a dark, menacing tale of isolation, human nature and the infinite savagery of the wild. Trade Review[A] deservedly award-studded delight Strong Words Magazine ‘A smart, scathing and bleakly funny cross of folk horror, satire and historical fiction’ Toronto Star ‘Reads like a modern fairy tale’ New York Journal of Books WINNER OF THE PRIX LANDERNEAU DES LECTEURS 2018 'Wild Dog details a disturbing continuum of savagery, both animal and human. At once eerie and sensual, it’s a timely reminder that, no matter how sophisticated we believe ourselves to be, we are no match for nature' The Guardian 'The suspense seeps from each exquisitely crafted sentence, taking the reader into a world replete with complex emotional and moral dilemmas . . . a raw, brutal and magnificent literary experience' European Literature Network 'Whether you are a regular reader or just looking for your 2020 holiday reading I urge you to take a look at Wild Dog. It is a true five star read' Whispering Stories ‘Holds the reader in suspense until the very last page’ L’Express ‘A magnificent allegory for the ways in which the modern world wears us down … A unique voice’ Le Figaro ‘A hymn to space and calm’ Libération ‘Proof of Serge Joncour’s immense talent and understanding of human subtleties’ Marie Claire ‘An ode to nature’ Le Point ‘Joncour is a magician’ Le Temps

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Book SynopsisThe Booker Prize-winning final novel in Pat Barker''s classic ''Regeneration'' trilogy - from the acclaimed author of The Silence of the Girls''An extraordinary tour de force. One of the few real masterpieces of late twentieth-century British fiction'' Jonathan Coe''Powerful, deeply moving... A triumph'' Sunday Times''Harrowing, original, unforgettable'' Independent1918, the closing months of the war. Army psychiatrist William Rivers is increasingly concerned for the men who have been in his care - particularly Billy Prior, who is about to return to combat in France with young poet Wilfred Owen. As Rivers tries to make sense of what, if anything, he has done to help these injured men, Prior and Owen await the final battles in a war that has decimated a generation. The Ghost Road is a vivid and unforgettable account of the devastating final months of the First World War.The Regeneration TrilTrade ReviewAn extraordinary tour de force. I'm convinced that the trilogy will win recognition as one of the few real masterpieces of late 20th-century British fiction Jonathan Coe

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Book Synopsis'Magnificent - deeply moving' Sunday Times'Engrossing, moving, and unforgettable' The TimesIn the heat of the French summer of 1910, young Englishman Stephen Wraysford arrives in Amiens to stay with the Azaire family. But soon a secret passion emerges that threatens to destroy the household. Six years later, Stephen finds himself on the Western Front with civilization itself in the balance. And in a maze of tunnels under the trenches he will fight for everything he has known and loved.An epic of love, death and redemption, Birdsong has moved millions of readers all over the world to become a contemporary classic.Sebastian Faulks, Sunday Times bestseller, September 2023Trade Review • "With Birdsong Faulks has produced a mesmerizing story of love and war... This book is so powerful that as I finished it I turned to the front to start again." --Sunday Express • "Engrossing, moving, and unforgettable." --The Times

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Book SynopsisAs the world commemorates the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day,Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman have teamed up with the BritishLegion to tell a new story inspired by the history of the poppy.

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Book SynopsisSusan Hill''s classic novel Strange Meeting tells of the power of love amidst atrocities.''He was afraid to go to sleep. For three weeks, he had been afraid of going to sleep . . .''Young officer John Hilliard returns to his battalion in France following a period of sick leave in England. Despite having trouble adjusting to all the new faces, the stiff and reserved Hilliard forms a friendship with David Barton, an open and cheerful new recruit who has still to be bloodied in battle. As the pair approach the front line, to the proximity of death and destruction, their strange friendship deepens. But each knows that soon they will be separated . . .''A remarkable feat of imaginative and descriptive writing'' The Times''The feeling of men under appalling stress at a particular moment in history is communicated with almost uncanny power'' Sunday Times''Truly Astonishing'' Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisThe poets and soldiers Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen are dispatched to Craiglockhart War Hospital in Scotland in 1917. There, army psychiatrist William Rivers is treating brutalised, shell-shocked men. It is Rivers' job to fix these men and make them ready to fight again.

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Book SynopsisFrom the Booker Prize-winning and Women''s Prize-shortlisted author of The Silence of the Girls The first novel in Pat Barker''s acclaimed ''Life Class'' trilogy - an unforgettable story of art and war, from one of our greatest writers on war and the human heart''Triumphant, inspiring, shattering'' The Times''Barker writes as brilliantly as ever... With great tenderness and insight she conveys a wartime world turned upside down'' Independent on Sunday''Masterly, gripping'' Penelope Lively''Extraordinarily powerful'' Sunday Telegraph Spring, 1914. The students at the Slade School of Art gather in Henry Tonks''s studio for his life-drawing class. But for Paul Tarrant the class is troubling, underscoring his own uncertainty about making a mark on the world. When war breaks out and the army won''t take Paul, he enlists in the Belgian Red Cross just as he and fellow student Elinor Brooke admit their feeliTrade ReviewSharply written and elegantly constructed...breathtaking * Guardian *A compelling read * Literary Review *Thoughtful, ambiguous and powerful * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisThey stand by side on the rock, facing out to sea. They are hidden from land here. Even spies would see nothing of them. It is spring 1917 in the Cornish coastal village of Zennor, and the young artist Clare Coyne is waking up to the world. Ignoring the whispers from her neighbours, she has struck a rare friendship with D.H. Lawrence and his German wife, who are hoping to escape the war-fever of London. In between painting and visits to her new friends she whiles away the warm days with her cousin John, who is on leave from the trenches, harbouring secrets she couldn''t begin to understand.But as the heat picks up, so too do the fear and the gossip that haunt the village. And the freedom to love will come at a steep price.______________________________________________**Winner of the McKitterick Prize**''Highly original and beautifully written'' Sunday Telegraph''Electrifying . . . Helen Dunmore mesmerTrade ReviewHighly original and beautifully written * Sunday Telegraph *Electrifying . . . Helen Dunmore mesmerizes you with her magical pen * Daily Mail *Deceit gives Helen Dunmore's novel a jagged edge. Secrets, unspoken words, lies that have the truth wrapped up in them somewhere make Dunmore's stories ripples with menace and suspense * Sunday Times *We believe in Clare's intelligence, talent and passion. A triumph * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisIn 1914 Paul Bäumer and his classmates are marched to the local recruiting office by a sentimentally patriotic form-master. On a calm October day in 1918, only a few weeks before the Armistice, Paul will be the last of them to be killed. In All Quiet on the Western Front he tells their story. A few years after it was published in 1929 the Nazis would denounce and publicly burn Remarque's novel for insulting the heroic German army - in other words, for 'telling it like it was' for the common soldier on the front line where any notions of glory and national destiny were soon blasted away by the dehumanizing horror of modern warfare. Remarque has an extraordinary power of describing fear: the appalling tension of being holed up in a dugout under heavy bombardment; the animal instinct to kill or be killed which takes over during hand-to-hand combat. He also has an eye for the grimly comic: the consignment of coffins Paul and his friends pass as they make their way up the line for a new offensive; the young soldiers joyfully tucking into double rations when half their company are unexpectedly wiped out. Remarque's elegy for a sacrificed generation is all the more devastating for the laconic prose in which his teenaged veteran narrates shocking experiences which for him have become the stuff of daily life. Paul cannot imagine a life after the war and can no longer relate to his family when he returns home on leave. Only the camaraderie of his diminishing circle of friends has any meaning for him. He comes especially to depend on an older comrade, Stanislaus Katczinsky, and one of the most poignant moments in the book is when he carries the wounded Kat on his back under fire to the field dressing station, with starkly tragic outcome. The saddest and most compelling war story ever written.Trade ReviewThe world has a great writer in Erich Maria Remarque. He is a craftsman of unquestionably first rank, a man who can bend language to his will. Whether he writes of men or of inanimate nature, his touch is sensitive, firm, and sure. * The New York Times Book Review *All Quiet is that rare thing, a work of popular modernism. * Independent *

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Book Synopsis‘an emotional, captivating read which is perfect for anyone who loves a good saga!’ Over The Rainbow Book BlogEven in the darkest of times, she never gave up hopeStaffordshire, 1911. Ginnie Jones’s childhood is spent in the shadow of the famous Potteries, living with her mother, father and older sister Mabel. But with Father’s eyesight failing, money is in short supply, and too often the family find their bellies aching with hunger. With no hope in sight, Ginnie is sent to Haddon Workhouse.Separated from everything she has known, Ginnie has to grow up fast, earning her keep by looking after the other children with no families of their own. When she meets Clara and Sam, she hopes that she has made friends for life… until tragedy strikes, snatching away her newfound happiness.Leaving Haddon three years later, Ginnie finds work as a mouldrunner at the Potteries, but never stops thinking about her friends in the workhouse – especially Sam, now a caring, handsome young man. When Sam and Ginnie are reunited, their bond is as strong as ever – until Sam is sent to fight in WW1. Faced with uncertainty, can Ginnie find the joy that she’s never had? Or will her heart be broken once again?An emotional, uplifting and nostalgic family saga that will make you smile, while tugging on your heart-strings. Fans of Sheila Newberry Kitty Neale and Sheila Riley will love this beautiful read.Readers are loving The Girl from the Workhouse:‘A poignant, emotional and heart-wrenching read…best read with a box of tissues handy’ Bookish Jottings‘This truly was a fabulous story from beginning to end and I struggled to put it down!... richly detailed, beautifully written and the storyline along with the characters was enthralling’ Rose is Reading‘heartbreaking, emotive and well researched…This is an easy,enjoyable and informative read, recommended for lovers of historical fiction.’ Waggy Tales‘I highly recommend reading this and being transported back in time. An excellent historical fiction that had me compulsively turning the pages.’ Books and Bookends‘Overall, I loved it. There were lots of moments that made me gasp and others that almost made me cry, and then there were those that made me smile and sigh.’ Jess Bookish Life‘heartwarming and emotional. I absolutely love the story line…I really enjoyed the setting and the characters. If you enjoy historical fiction, this is definitely a book to read!’ Jessica Belmont Book Reviews‘I’m quite astonished this is a debut novel… The characters came alive on the page, and it’s a fully rounded story… A fabulous read’ Grace J Reviewerlady‘an emotional, captivating read which is perfect for anyone who loves a good saga!... a fantastic read that quickly drew me into the story and kept my interest throughout with its fabulous plot.’ Over The Rainbow Book Blog‘Ginnie is a likeable character from the off… I cried at some of the heartache she saw, and was so pleased with every small moment of happiness. You won’t be able to put this one down.’ Jennifer C Wilson‘the author winds her story around your person and snares your heart… Though filled with much darkness and despair, there is also hope and love’ Insatiable Readers‘Johnson has a Cookson flair…she does capture the heart and soul of her characters.’ Cheryl M-M Book Reviews‘a step back in time with a young protagonist who pulled on my heart strings…The friendship between her and Sam was especially heartwarming. I really enjoyed my first introduction to this author’ By The Letter Book Reviews

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Book SynopsisMichaelmas term, 1940. 18-year-old John Kemp has come down from Lancashire to Oxford University to begin his scholarship studying English. But when he invents an imaginary sister to win the attention of a rich but unreliable ''friend'', and then falls in love for real, undergraduate life becomes its own strange world Absolutely contemporary - perhaps even prophetic.'' Joyce Carol OatesRemarkable A book about innocence.' Simon Garfield''A cryptic literary manifesto [about] discovering a literary personality, and the consolation art can provide.'' Andrew MotionTrade Review"'The qualities one has learned to value in his poetry are there: control of emotion and language, keen observation, and in particular the very precise expression of half-success, anticipated failure or sadness.' New Statesman; 'Jill is, in a sense, a kind of cryptic literary manifesto. It is a novel about writing, about discovering a literary personality, and about the sorts of consolation that art can provide.' Andrew Motion"

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Book SynopsisDISCOVER AND CHERISH THIS BEAUTIFUL HARDBACK 40th ANNIVERSARY ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF THE BELOVED MODERN CLASSIC, WAR HORSE.Before the Steven Spielberg film, before the National Theatre production, there was the classic and nation's favourite children's novelIn the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders from his back, Joey tells a powerful story of the truest friendships surviving in terrible times.One horse has the seen the best and the worst of humanity. The power of war and the beauty of peace. This is his story.With a stunning new cover from fine arts photographer, Nine Francois and chapter illustrations from award-winning war artist, George Butler.National treasure, Michael Moropurgo's, War Horse was adapted by Steven Spielberg as a major motion picture with Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The National Theatre production opened in 2007Trade ReviewPraise for Michael Morpurgo: “Michael Morpurgo writes brilliantly about war and animals, conveying the big emotions without preaching.” Guardian “There are few children’s writers as compelling as Michael Morpurgo.” Daily Express “Morpurgo, as always, is subtle and skillful, and incorporates social and moral issues into his writing without being self-righteous or detracting from the quality of the narrative”Elizabeth Reilly, British Council “The former children's laureate has the happy knack of speaking to both child and adult readers.” Guardian

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Book SynopsisWilliam Somerset Maugham was born in 1874 and lived in Paris until he was ten. He was educated at King's School, Canterbury, and at Heidelberg University. He spent some time at St. Thomas' Hospital with the idea of practising medicine, but the success of his first novel, Liza of Lambeth, published in 1897, won him over to literature. Of Human Bondage, the first of his masterpieces, came out in 1915, and with the publication in 1919 of The Moon and Sixpence his reputation as a novelist was established. At the same time his fame as a successful playwright and writer was being consolidated with acclaimed productions of various plays and the publication of several short story collections. His other works include travel books, essays, criticism and the autobiographical The Summing Up and A Writer's Notebook. In 1927 Somerset Maugham settled in the South of France and lived there until his death in 1965Trade ReviewThe most persuasive espionage fiction * New York Times *The first spy story written by someone who had been there and done that. A humane and compassionate antidote to two-fisted, square-jawed heroes battling dastardly foreigners. The head of British Intelligence is known only as "R", anticipating James Bond's "M" by a quarter of a century * The Times *Thoughtful spy novels began with Somerset Maugham's Ashenden, featuring a detached hero on a journey to disillusion, a process brought to its apotheosis by le Carre via Greene * Daily Telegraph *A collection of stories so accurate that Churchill ordered the destruction of 14 of them, while Russian intelligence immediately set up a special unit to read British spy novels for clues * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisIn the small hours of January 1st, 1919, the cruellest twist of fate changed at a stroke the lives of an entire community. Tormod Morrison was there that terrible night. He was on board HMY Iolaire when it smashed into rocks and sank, killing some 200 servicemen on the very last leg of their long journey home from war. For Tormod – a man unlike others, with artistry in his fingertips – the disaster would mark him indelibly. Two decades later, Alasdair and Rachel are sent to the windswept Isle of Lewis to live with Tormod in his traditional blackhouse home, a world away from the Glasgow of their earliest years. Their grandfather is kind, compassionate, but still deeply affected by the remarkable true story of the Iolaire shipwreck – by the selfless heroism and desperate tragedy he witnessed. A deeply moving novel about passion constrained, coping with loss and a changing world, As the Women Lay Dreaming explores how a single event can so dramatically impact communities, individuals and, indeed, our very souls.Trade Review“Passionate, atmospheric and evocative.”“A haunting, poignant, meticulously researched novel about the 1919 Iolaire ferry disaster and its effect on the local community. An extraordinary piece of storytelling.”“Atmospheric and evocative… masterful writing.”“A beautifully drawn novel. …Achingly well realised.” -- Roger Hutchinson * West Highland Free Press *"A poignant novel." -- Nicola Sturgeon“A searing poetic meditation on stoicism and loss.” -- Mariella Frostrup * BBC Radio 4 Open Book *“A powerful novel… A poignant exploration of love, loss and survivor’s guilt.” -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *“Triumphant… The writing is breath-taking, poignant and takes great pains to immerse the reader in ideas of trauma, suffering and the shared culture of a grieving generation. [A] rich and lyrical writing style.” Lochaber Life, Book of the Month;“Timely, clever, evocative… Murray has said that this novel took him around sixteen years to complete and on the strength of this poignant offering one hopes we will not have to wait so long for his second.”“A classic bildungsroman… It is that rarity: a work of imagination which reads like experienced truth. It’s the kind of book you want to read again as soon as you finish it, because you know there is so much that will be revealed on that second reading: the kind of novel which can enrich your life.” -- Allan Massie * Scotsman, Best Scottish Books of 2018 *“Murray is an evocative painter of landscapes and a deeply sympathetic writer… This diligently researched book exists principally as a space for forgotten voices to sound, bearing witness not just to this tragedy, but to the terrible cost of World War I itself.” -- Stephanie Cross * Daily Mail *“Beautifully and sensitively told, by one of the great lyrical writers of our time, D S Murray ... [A] brutal reminder of how resilient and tangled are the tentacles of tragedy.” -- Cathy MacDonald[A] tightly structured, time-hopping memoir-but-not-a-memoir… A story spanning 74 years whittled meticulously into shape… Murray pulls off the perfect combination of fact and fiction… [His] assured journey through the disruption, trauma, love and loss threaded unspoken through one Lewis family, with barely a word of the shipwreck, is on every page a novel of the Iolaire disaster. “ -- Catriona Black * Herald and National *“A very special book… a poignant tale of family, love and relationships lived out in the hardest of places… Donald S Murray is superb in bringing his characters to life and making the incidents they encounter feel utterly real.”“Gave me an insight into the Iolaire disaster which no history book could manage… a powerful book…which reveals new layers with every reading. It is history brought to life through fiction, and when it is done in a manner as moving and beautiful as this it is invaluable.” -- Alistair Braidwood * Scots Whay Hae *

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Book SynopsisFrom the Booker Prize-winning and Women''s Prize-shortlisted author of The Silence of the Girls The second novel in Pat Barker''s acclaimed ''Life Class'' trilogy - a dark and compelling examination of desire, friendship and the horror of war, from one of our greatest writers on war and the human heart''Heart-rending... Toby''s Room anatomises a world where extreme emotion shatters the boundaries of identity, behaviour, gender'' Independent''Once again Barker skilfully moves between past and present, seamlessly weaving fact and fiction into a gripping narrative'' Sunday TelegraphWhen Toby is reported ''Missing, Believed Killed'', another secret casts a lengthening shadow over Elinor''s world: how exactly did Toby die - and why? Elinor determines to uncover the truth. Only then can she finally close the door to Toby''s room. Moving from the Slade School of Art to Queen Mary''s Hospital, where surgery and art intersectTrade ReviewPraise for Toby's Room:"Barker...has pursued [World War I] through a remarkable series of novels: the much-admired "Regeneration" trilogy...Life Class and now Toby's Room.... [T]hese novels go far beyond a demonstration of the powers of the historical imagination. Like most good works of fiction, they’re not so much about the events they depict as about the resonance of those events, the way certain actions ripple through people’s lives.... Toby's Room takes large risks. It’s dark, painful and indelibly grotesque, yet it is also tender. It strains its own narrative control to create in the midst of an ordinary life a kind of deformed reality—precisely to illustrate how everything we call ‘ordinary’ is disfigured by war. And it succeeds brilliantly."— John Vernon, New York Times Book Review"[T]he writing is lucid and often beautiful."—Thom Geier, Entertainment Weekly"A tantalizing and moving return to wartime London."—Joanna Scutts, Washington Post"You get a glimpse inside Toby’s room in Pat Barker’s poignant novel of the same name, but what you remember are three real and very different English landmarks — the Slade, London’s prestigious art academy; Cafe Royal, frequented by the likes of Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill and Virginia Woolf; and the Queen’s Hospital, opened in 1917 to serve injured British soldiers in need of facial reconstruction.... No one evokes England in all its stiff-upper-lip gritty wartime privation like Barker. She is as uncompromising as Henry Tonks, as determined to render an honest portrayal of war. She will not allow us to sweep it out of sight.... [She] sets the bar high."—Ellen Kanner, Miami Herald"Haunting and complicated sibling love is at the heart of Pat Barker's Great War novel.... [T]he precision of Ms. Barker's writing shows her again to be one of the finest chroniclers of both the physical and psychological disfigurements exacted by the First World War."—Wall Street Journal"Barker deftly fused fact and fiction in her hugely impressive "Regeneration Trilogy" by turning the war poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen into integral characters. She continues this blending in Toby's Room.... [It] is in many ways Barker's most ambitious novel to date.... As ever, the war scenes, and the accounts of the broken men who inhabit them, are, by turn, gripping and unsettling. However, in with the carnage and the trauma are those expert passages on art as something both reflective and redemptive. This is a powerful book that chronicles in various ingenious ways, and from certain unique perspectives, 'the poignancy of a young life cut short.'"—Malcolm Forbes, San Francisco Chronicle"A Pat Barker novel…is a novel that deals in some way with the horrors of World War One, and it’s a also a novel about art, but mostly it’s a novel about how art attempts to depict the horrors of World War One. And this is how a Pat Barker novel attempts to depict the horrors of World War One: bluntly."—Brock Clark, Boston Globe"[A]lthough Toby’s Room is not billed as a prequel or sequel to Life Class and the reader need not be familiar with that novel in order to get to grips with this... [t]hose who do know Barker’s previous work will be struck by recurrences and continuations in this novel not only of events in Life Class, but in Regeneration, too.... [Barker's] prose remains fresh, humanely business-like, crisp and unsentimental. Images are scrupulously vivid, and the plot has real momentum."—Freya Johnston, Telegraph (London)"A driving storyline and a clear eye, steadily facing the history of our world.... For Barker, the wounded faces of the soldier-victims are realities, and also emblems of what must never be forgotten or evaded about war, and must continue – in her plain, steady, compelling voice – to be turned into art."—Hermione Lee, Guardian (London)Praise for Life Class“Beautiful and evocative . . . A coming-of-age story that transcends the individual and gestures to the fate of a generation.”—People“Life Class possesses organic power and narrative sweep . . . Barker conjures up the hellish terrors of war and its fallout with meticulous precision.”—Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times“Here, as in her best fiction, Barker unveils psychologically rich characters . . . and resists the trappings of a neat love story, reminding us once again that in art and life we remain infinitely mysterious.”—San Francisco ChroniclePraise for the Regeneration Trilogy“A masterwork . . . complex and ambitious.”—The New York Times Book Review“It has been Pat Barker’s accomplishment to enlarge the scope of the contemporary English novel.”—The New Yorker“A literary achievement . . . remarkable.”—San Francisco Chronicle“Some of the most powerful antiwar writing in modern fiction.”— The Boston Globe

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Book SynopsisThe Man From St Petersburg is a dark tale of family secrets and political consequences. Ken Follett's masterful storytelling brings to life the danger of a world on the brink of war.A Secret Negotiation1914. Tensions are rising as Europe finds itself caught in a web of alliances and dangerous warmongering. To help tip the balance in their favour, Britain aims to draw Russia into an alliance with them instead of Germany. Czar Nicholas’s nephew, Prince Aleksei, is sent to London for secret naval talks with Lord Walden. A Play for PowerWalden has a personal connection to Aleksei; his wife is Aleksei’s aunt. And they are not the only ones interested in the Russian's arrival; so too are Walden’s wilful, idealistic daughter, the head of Special Branch, and a ruthless Russian anarchist. A World at WarWith the British desperately needing a signed treaty and the fate of the world hanging in the balance, the destinies of these individuals become inextricably linked, as tragedy threatens to shatter the Waldens’ complacency . . .Trade ReviewKen Follett has done it once more . . . goes down with the ease and impact of a well-prepared martini * The New York Times Book Review *Eerily plausible . . . one of Follett's finest * Time *

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Book SynopsisThe masterful second novel in Pat Barker''s classic ''Regeneration'' trilogy - from the Booker Prize-winning and Women''s Prize-shortlisted author of The Silence of the GirlsWINNER OF THE 1993 GUARDIAN FICTION PRIZE''Spellbinding and startlingly original'' Sunday Telegraph''Gripping, moving, profoundly intelligent'' Independent on Sunday''A new vision of what the First World War did to human beings, male and female, soldiers and civilians'' A. S. Byatt, Daily TelegraphLondon, 1918. Billy Prior is working for Intelligence in the Ministry of Munitions. But his private encounters with women and men - pacifists, objectors, homosexuals - conflict with his duties as a soldier, and it is not long before his sense of himself fragments and breaks down. Forced to consult the man who helped him before - army psychiatrist William Rivers - Prior must confront his inability to be the dutiful soldier his superTrade ReviewGripping, moving, beautifully constrcted and profoundly intelligent Independent on Sunday

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Book Synopsis* TOLKIEN * Now a major motion pictureAcclaimed as the best book about Tolkien', this award-winning biography explores J.R.R. Tolkien's wartime experiences and their impact on his life and his writing of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings.To be caught in youth by 1914 was no less hideous an experience than in 1939 by 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead.So J.R.R. Tolkien responded to critics who saw The Lord of the Rings as a reaction to the Second World War. Tolkien and the Great War tells for the first time the full story of how he embarked on the creation of Middle-earth in his youth as the world around him was plunged into catastrophe. This biography reveals the horror and heroism that he experienced as a signals officer in the Battle of the Somme and introduces the circle of friends who spurred his mythology to life. It shows how, after two of these brilliant young men were killed, Tolkien pursued the dream they had all shared by launching his epic of good and evil.JoTrade Review"Very much the best book about JRR Tolkien that has yet been written. Even if you are not a Lord of the Rings fan, I commend this book to you. It is all so interesting in itself, and I have rarely read a book which so intelligently graphed the relation between a writer's inner life and his outward circumstances."A.N.Wilson, Evening Standard “A highly intelligent book exploring Tolkien’s personal experience of the First World War… Garth displays impressive skills both as a researcher and writer.” Max Hastings “Garth’s brilliantly argued study convincinly portrays Tolkien in an entirely different leagues from other, more familiar writers on war.” Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisFresh from school in June 1916, Lieutenant Oliver Paxton''s first solo flight is to lead a formation of biplanes across the Channel to join Hornet Squadron in France. Five days later, he crash-lands at his destination, having lost his map, his ballast and every single plane in his charge. To his C.O. he''s an idiot, to everyone else - especially the tormenting Australian who shares his billet - a pompous bastard. This is 1916, the year of the Somme, giving Paxton precious little time to grow from innocent to veteran.

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Book Synopsis''ORIGINAL AND ENTHRALLING'' Guardian''AFFECTING AND TENDER'' The Times''COMPLETELY ENCHANTING'' Penny Vincenzi Elizabeth Pringle lived all her long life on the Scottish island of Arran. But did anyone really know her? In her will she leaves her beloved house, Holmlea, to a stranger - a young mother she''d seen pushing a pram down the road over thirty years ago. It now falls to Martha, once the baby in that pram, to answer the question: why? Martha is coping with her mother''s dementia and the possibility of a new life on Arran could be a new start.A captivating story for fans of Rosamund Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Rachel Joyce of the richness behind the so-called ordinary lives of women and the secrets and threads that hold them together.And Kirsty Wark''s second novel, The House by the Loch, a story of unlikely love and long-hidden family secrets set in the beautifTrade ReviewKirsty Wark's first novel gleams with beauty... Part romance, part family history, mother-and-daughter fable and meditation on memory, The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle has qualities of heart... something of great worth and beauty gleams through the narrative and haunts the reader with its imaginative truth... Wark's presentation of a unique love unalloyed by sexuality is original and enthralling. The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle is a hymn to the stark beauty of the island of Arran. * Guardian *Curl up for this big-hearted romantic debut by the Newsnight presenter... A pulse of secrets drives the story along... affecting and tender. * The Times *Set on the Scottish island of Arran, Kirsty Wark's brilliantly vivid descriptions bring alive a story that reaches across the generations. * Daily Mail *The narrative switches between Elizabeth and Martha...The structure works well, demonstrating the similarities and differences between the two women. Both are well-rounded characters and their stories are engaging... Martha's relationship with Anna is beautifully and touchingly written, a daughter helplessly watching her beloved, vibrant mother fade away... This is an appealing debut that sustains interest to the very last page... Elizabeth Pringle is a quietly heroic character and, like Arran, she never fails to charm. * Independent on Sunday *The story is set in the beautiful Scottish island of Arran, a place Wark very obviously knows and loves... Wark's story telling is direct, compelling and rewarding for the reader. She is a real writer who happens to do television. * Daily Mail *The book is fresh and beguiling... Wark deftly and delicately plaits the intricate tales of three women... The narrative is packed with incidents but, for the most part, does not rush; it breathes, sighs, ponders. Wark has an exceptionally vivid sense of place. Windswept Arran and Holy Island become starkly beautiful lodestones which keep its old inhabitants and draw new ones. The landscapes, soil and vegetation have the power to heal broken humans, deliver love and hope after calamities. George Eliot paid homage to those "who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs." In this novel some of those hidden stories are told and graves visited with real tenderness. * Independent *a lyrical, truthful, contemplative book. [it] grows, imperceptibly, like bindweed round the reader, captivating them and then practically throttling them in with a denouement so shocking that I could barely speak afterwards. * Daily Telegraph *The BBC presenter's debut novel is an enjoyable mother-and-daughter fable and meditation on memory * Observer *Wark depicts the weather, the landscape and the inhabitants of the island so vividly that all I wanted was a ferry ticket. * Woman & Home *An excellent, page-turning debut from the Newsnight presenter. -- Viv Groskop * Red Magazine *This haunting story of love and loss, set in Kirsty's beloved Scottish Highlands, will linger with you long after you've reluctantly read the last page. * Woman's Weekly *The accomplished journalist and broadcaster's ­first foray into ­fiction is a moving and intelligent novel - its language is poetic without being overblown; its subject matter poignant but not overly sentimental... On the surface a tale of romance, loss, family and history, its emotional force comes from an exploration of that most intimate of relationships: between mothers and daughters...All the characters are well rounded and authentic, and the island itself emerges as one of them. Indeed, it is the depiction of Arran that lifts the book out of the ordinary: the haunting, evocative and nostalgic setting becomes the ­fitting backbone of this rich and captivating story. * The Lady *very, very good... a tribute to life and indomitability with smiles and excitement among the minutiae and discoveries... This wonderfully enthralling story held together by three redoubtable, engaging and very real women is for everyone * Bookbag (Top 10 Historical Novels of 2014) *meditative, beguiling and absorbing * Daunts Books - Marylebone Journal *Exquisite prose... a beautiful, sometimes devastating story that truly touches the heart. * Daily Record *Gentle and genteel * Sunday Herald *I can't imagine how Kirsty Wark found the time to write this big, rich novel when she is never off TV. It's terrifically readable, and the setting, the isle of Arran, is beautifully rendered. * Saga magazine *[An] elegant debut novel from journalist and TV presenter Kirsty Wark... The secrets and courage of [Elizabeth's] life become apparent and the climax of her story is as satisfying as it is unexpected. The magic of the island, with its soft rains, carpets of flowers and ever-changing seascapes comes across strongly as Wark makes equal magic out of the extraordinariness of ordinary lives. * WI Life Magazine *Beautifully paced and interesting... well defined and interesting. A really good read and a great first novel. * Bay of Plenty Times (NZ) *Deeply moving, this is broadcaster Kirsty's debut novel and we can't wait to see what else she's got for us. * Woman's Way (Ireland) *Completely enchanting. The story of two women's intertwined lives draws you in and holds you spellbound to the end. * Penny Vincenzi *Arran is the perfect setting and there is a deep sense of belonging. The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle is a really good read. * Rosamunde Pilcher *An intriguing marriage of past and present, and an absorbing narrative. It made me want to go to Arran. * Penelope Lively *

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Book SynopsisFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author Penny Vincenzi, NO ANGEL is the first novel in the acclaimed Spoils of Time trilogy. ''Penny Vincenzi dazzlingly combines the old-fashioned virtues of gripping storytelling with the up-to-the-minute contemporary feel for emotional depth and insight into the lives of the characters. She is a supreme stylist and clever writer. Reading her is an addictive experience''-Elizabeth Buchan.In pre-war London, Lady Celia Lytton is the perfect host. Beautiful, intelligent and determined, she throws glittering parties, publishes bestselling books, and enjoys her young family and loving husband. But there are tragedies her family will not escape: the Titanic, the First World War, the flu epidemic. And beneath their perfect image, the Lyttons cannot ignore the changing world around them. In the shattering aftermath of the War, Celia is beginning to understand that there will be a price to pay for the life she haTrade ReviewPacked with passion, pain, pace and palaver * Daily Mail *I was hooked right from the first page to the final, fantastic twist * New Woman *Highly addictive * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisFrom The Times bestselling author of The Other Mrs Walker - Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2017 - comes Mary Paulson-Ellis's second stunning historical mystery, The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing. Solomon knew that he had one advantage. A pawn ticket belonging to a dead man tucked into his top pocket - the only clue to the truth . . . An old soldier dies alone in his Edinburgh nursing home. No known relatives, and no Will to enact. Just a pawn ticket found amongst his belongings, and fifty thousand pounds in used notes sewn into the lining of his burial suit . . . Heir Hunter, Solomon Farthing - down on his luck, until, perhaps, now - is tipped off on this unexplained fortune. Armed with only the deceased’s name and the crumpled pawn ticket, he must find the dead man’s closest living relative if he is to get a cut of this much-needed cash. But in trawling through the deceased’sTrade ReviewA richly rewarding, gripping page-turner -- Val McDermidA profound and moving book * Woman's Weekly *The characterisation is great and the atmosphere powerful. The bored and fractious platoon is wonderfully evoked. * Daily Mail *Skilful juggling of the twin timelines in this engaging mystery reveals a darkness at its core * Sunday Times Crime Club *Riveting . . . A deftly woven, moving plot * Woman & Home *Richly enjoyable. Paulson-Ellis writes with verve and vividness, also with sympathy. * The Scotsman *

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Book Synopsis‘Absolutely loved this book from start to finish, I couldn’t put it down' ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader ReviewWhile the men are off fighting, the women keep the country moving…July 1914: Britain is in turmoil as WW1 begins to change the world. While the young men disappear off to foreign battlefields, the women left at home throw themselves into jobs meant for the boys.Hiding her privileged background and her suffragette past, Constance Copeland signs up to be a Clippie - collecting money and giving out tickets - on the trams in Staffordshire, despite her parents’ disapproval.Constance, now known as Connie, soon finds there is more to life than the wealth she was born into and she soon makes fast friends with lively fellow Clippies, Betty and Jean, as well as growing closer to the charming, gentle Inspector Robert Caldwell.But Connie is haunted by another secret; and if it comes out, it could destroy her new life.After war ends and the men return to take back their roles, will Connie find that she can return to her previous existence? Or has she been changed forever by seeing a new world through the tram windows?A captivating, lively, romantic saga set in WW1 that will engross fans of Johanna Bell and Jenny Holmes.Readers are loving Connie's story:‘Absolutely loved this book from start to finish, I couldn’t put it down…A great historical fiction read that has you wanting to finish the book to see how all their lives turn out. Loved it!’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review‘A wonderful WWI-era historical fiction novel that I truly, truly enjoyed…I look forward to what Ms. Johnson has in store for readers next.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review‘Set around World War One, it shows the grit the women of the war had to endure…well written and enjoyable.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review‘I enjoyed reading this book because I learned a lot about women during the first world war…There was sadness in the story but happiness and hope for the future. I do recommend that you read this book.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review‘I thoroughly enjoyed this story that captured the war, suffragette movement, class and working on the trams. I became embroiled in Connie's life and couldn't wait to see what happened next.’ Reader Review‘A wonderful book and highly recommended.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review‘Historical Fiction and General Fiction readers ought to pick up this charming book.’ Reader Review‘An appealing story, with well-drawn characters…To be with Connie on her journey makes a thoroughly satisfying read.’ Reader ReviewReaders love Lynn Johnson's captivating WW1 sagas: ‘an emotional, captivating read which is perfect for anyone who loves a good saga!’ Over The Rainbow Book BlogA poignant, emotional and heart-wrenching read…best read with a box of tissues handy’ Bookish Jottings‘This truly was a fabulous story from beginning to end and I struggled to put it down!... richly detailed, beautifully written and the storyline along with the characters was enthralling’ Rose is Reading‘heartwarmingand emotional...If you enjoy historical fiction, this is definitely a book to read!’ Jessica Belmont Book Reviews‘An excellent historical fiction that had me compulsively turning the pages.’ Books and Bookends‘Overall, I loved it. There were lots of moments that made me gasp and others that almost made me cry, and then there were those that made me smile and sigh.’ Jess Bookish Life‘Johnson has a Cookson flair…she does capture the heart and soul of her characters.’ Cheryl M-M Book Reviews

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Book SynopsisApril 21, 1923. The SS Metagama is inching out of Stornoway harbour on the Isle of Lewis, bound for Canada. On board are Finlay and Mairead; they are young and hopeful, leaving behind a community that has been touched by tragedy to change their lives foreverOn the other side of the Atlantic, though, they face the realities of an uncaring industrial society. The effects of the Great Depression are inescapable, prejudice and division are rife, and though they remain bound by a shared past, their own lives soon diverge.In an adopted country that is tense with both opportunity and loss, social progress and violent backlash, can Mairead and Finlay keep their promises to one another, to look only forward, and resist the constant pull of home?From the author of the prize-winning As the Women Lay Dreaming comes a poignant and deeply evocative novel of the 20th-century emigrant experience in the New World. With lyrical prose and masterful storytelling, Murray paints a vivid portrait of the resilient Hebrideans-in-exile who struggled between holding on and letting go.

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Book SynopsisThe final book in Cynthia''s War at Home series''Always a stay-up-all-night read with Cynthia Harrod-Eagles! *****''Fabulous series of books, this author never disappoints'' *****''I love Cynthia Harrold-Eagles'' historical novels'' *****1919: The war is over, but peace is yet to come. As men are demobbed, women must give up positions that gave them freedom. Edward is given an important job at the Peace Conference in Paris, but it means more lonely months away from Beattie and his hoped-for reconciliation. Fred''s unit is sent to the Rhine, and Cook feels a guilty relief that her uprooting has been postponed. Laura''s friend Ransley volunteers for a further six months, and rather than go home, Laura finds a new outlet: conducting guided tours of the battlefields. In England there are strikes and unrest, hardship and widespread unemployment, and everywhere the sight of the wounded to remind t

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