Whether your passion is The Ancient Greeks, The Wars of The Roses or The Russian Revolution, you'll find stories of life during these eras and every other, often using factual accounts to build a fictional narrative.
Historical Fiction Books
Penguin Books Ltd Ragtime
Book SynopsisSet in turn-of-the-century New York, E.L. Doctorow''s Ragtime seamlessly blends fictional characters and realistic depictions of historical figures to bring to life the events that defined American history in the years before the First World War. This Penguin Modern Classics edition includes an introduction by Al Alvarez.Welcome to America at the turn of the twentieth century, where the rhythms of ragtime set the beat. Harry Houdini astonishes audiences with magical feats of escape, the mighty J. P. Morgan dominates the financial world and Henry Ford manufactures cars by making men into machines. Emma Goldman preaches free love and feminism, while ex-chorus girl Evelyn Nesbitt inspires a mad millionaire to murder the architect Stanford White. In this stunningly original chronicle of an age, such real-life characters intermingle with three remarkable families, one black, one Jewish and one prosperous WASP, to create a dazzling literary mosaic that brings to life an era of dire poverty, fabulous wealth, and incredible change - in short, the era of ragtime.E.L. Doctorow (b.1931) is one of America''s most accomplished and acclaimed living writers. Winner of the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award (twice), the PEN/Faulkner Award, and the National Humanities Medal, he is the author of nine novels that have explored the drama of American life from the late 19th century to the 21st, including Ragtime, The Book of Daniel and Billy Bathgate.If you enjoyed Ragtime, you might like John Dos Passos'' U.S.A., also available in Penguin Classics.''In its perfection it stuns and holds from beginning to end''Daily Mail''Witty, lyrical, put together with admirable craft ... dazzling economy and insight ... Mr Doctorow knows what he is doing and has done it beautifully''Guardian''One of the best American novels for years''Economist
£999.99
Penguin Books Ltd A Grain of Wheat
Book SynopsisKenyan novelist and playwright Ngugi wa Thiong'o is the author of WEEP NOT CHILD (1964), THE RIVER BETWEEN (1965), and PETALS OF BLOOD (1977). Ngugi was chair of the Department of Literature at the University of Nairobi from 1972 to 1977. He left Kenya in 1982 and taught at various universities in the United States before he became professor of comparative literature and performance studies at New York University in 1992.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Brooklyn
Book SynopsisA devastating story of love, loss and one woman''s terrible choice between duty and personal freedom. Fall in love with Brooklyn ahead of its bestselling follow-up, Long Island.It is Ireland in the early 1950s and for Eilis Lacey, as for so many young Irish girls, opportunities are scarce. So when her sister arranges for her to emigrate to New York, Eilis knows she must go, leaving behind her family and her home for the first time.Arriving in a crowded lodging house in Brooklyn, Eilis can only be reminded of what she has sacrificed. She is far from home - and homesick. And just as she takes tentative steps towards friendship, and perhaps something more, Eilis receives news which sends her back to Ireland.There she will be confronted by a terrible dilemma - a devastating choice between duty and one great love.***''With this elating and humane novel, Colm Tóibín has produced a masterwork'' Sunday Times''Unforgettable'' Spectator''The most compelling and moving portrait of a young woman I have read in a long time'' Zoë Heller, Guardian''Magnificent'' Sunday TelegraphThe book that inspired the major motion picture starring Saoirse Ronan.Trade ReviewWith this elating and humane novel, Colm Tóibín has produced a masterwork * Sunday Times *The most compelling and moving portrait of a young woman I have read in a long time -- Zoë Heller * Guardian, Books of the Year *A work of such skill, understatement and sly jewelled merriment could haunt your life -- Ali Smith * TLS, Books of the Year *Suffused with humane depth, funny, affecting, deftly plotted ... a novel of magnificent accomplishment -- Peter Kemp * Sunday Times, Novel of the Year *Brooklyn moved me more than any other book this year -- Nicholas Hytner * Observer, Books of the Year *A beautifully crafted work that transformed ordinary lives into something extraordinary * Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year *No book this year gave me greater pleasure -- Nell Freudenberger * Financial Times *Not a sentence or a thought out of place. It takes over as his finest ficiton to date * Irish Times *Remarkable freshness and immediacy ... with a lovely comedic lightness * Daily Mail *A lovely, thoughtful book ... alive with authentic detail, moved along by the ripples of affection and doubt that shape any life: a novel that offers the reader serious pleasure * Daily Telegraph *Tremendously moving and powerful * New Statesman *Full of sly fun, lovely comic observation and an almost tangible pleasure in storytelling * Observer *Refreshingly authentic . . . Eilis is so vivid it's difficult to believe she did not actually exist * Financial Times *
£8.99
Shanghai Press Tales from 5000 Years of Chinese History Volume
Book SynopsisWith readable and enternatining stories from China's past, this book is a unique addition to the field of Chinese history.Open these pages to discover the great figures of Chinese history: Du Yu, the tamer of floods; Qin Shihuang, the First Emperor of China; Confucius, the great philosopher; Sima Qian, the great historian; and the unforgettable villain, Cao Cao. Tales from 5000 Years of Chinese History covers the history of China in an anecdotal fashion that makes each event come alive. Entertaining and informative, this ambitious narrative will enlighten all those who wish to know more about the chronicles of the Middle Kingdom.
£18.86
Penguin Books Ltd Forever Amber
Book SynopsisA book to read and reread, this reissue brings back to print an unforgettable romance and a timeless masterpiece.Abandoned pregnant and penniless on the teeming streets of London, sixteen-year-old Amber St. Clare uses her wits, beauty and courage to climb to the highest position a woman could achieve in Restoration England - that of favourite mistress of the Merry Monarch himself, Charles II. From whores and highwaymen to courtiers and noblemen, from the Great Plague and the Fire of London to the intimate passions of ordinary - and extraordinary - men and women, Amber experiences it all. But throughout her trials and escapades, she remains, in her heart, true to the one man she really loves, the one man she can never have ...
£17.09
The New York Review of Books, Inc The Year Of The French
Book SynopsisIn 1798, Irish patriots, committed to freeing their country from England, landed with a company of French troops in County Mayo, in westernmost Ireland. They were supposed to be an advance guard, followed by other French ships with the leader of the rebellion, Wolfe Tone. Briefly they triumphed, raising hopes among the impoverished local peasantry and gathering a group of supporters. But before long the insurgency collapsed in the face of a brutal English counterattack.Very few books succeed in registering the sudden terrible impact of historical events; Thomas Flanagan''s is one. Subtly conceived, masterfully paced, with a wide and memorable cast of characters, The Year of the French brings to life peasants and landlords, Protestants and Catholics, along with old and abiding questions of secular and religious commitments, empire, occupation, and rebellion. It is quite simply a great historical novel.Named the most distinguished work of fiction in 1979 by the National Book Critics'' Circle.
£17.85
HarperCollins Publishers The Cottingley Secret
Book SynopsisThe New York Times bestselling author turns the clock back to a time when two young girls convinced the world that fairies really did exist1917: When two young cousins, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright from Cottingley, England, announce they have photographed fairies at the bottom of the garden, their parents are astonished. But when the great novelist, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, endorses the photographs' authenticity, the girls become a sensation; their discovery offering something to believe in amid a world ravaged by war.One hundred years later When Olivia Kavanagh finds an old manuscript and a photograph in her late grandfather's bookshop she becomes fascinated by the story of the two young girls who mystified the world. As Olivia is drawn into events a century ago, she becomes aware of the past and the present intertwining, blurring her understanding of what is real and what is imagined. As she begins to understand why a nation once believed in fairies, will Olivia find a way to believe in herself?Trade ReviewPraise for The Cottingley Secret ‘Enchanting, magical… This book reminds us that we are never too old to believe in magic.’ Carmel Harrington ‘Perfect fireside read’ Sunday Independent ‘This is a gorgeous, uplifting, magical book that will have you hooked from the start.’ Gill Paul author of The Secret Wife ‘I adored The Cottingley Secret … an enchanting and enthralling tale of childhood magic.’ Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale ‘An artful weaving of old legends with new realities’ Kate Alcott, author of The Dressmaker ‘Brings the mystery of the Cottingley Fairies thrillingly to life’ Kate Forsyth author of Bitter Greens ‘A magical journey in perfect prose’ Books Ireland Praise for Hazel Gaynor: ‘Addictive, charming and gleaming with Jazz Age glitz’ The Lady ‘Sumptuous, gorgeous, authentic and surprising, Hazel Gaynor has written another hit.’ Sunday Independent ‘Peopled with unforgettable characters…Once begun, I dare you to put it down.’ Kathleen Tessaro, author of The Perfume Collector
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Swan Maid
Book SynopsisA gripping and heartwarming novel from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller, Dilly Court.Lottie Lane is all alone in the world. As a chambermaid at one of London's busiest inns, condemned to a life of drudgery and at the mercy of a vicious landlady, Lottie is too worn out to even dream of a better life.Until one night an injured soldier is brought to The Swan. Lottie nurses him back from the dead and suddenly everything changes. She finds herself following the drum of the soldiers, all the way from the docks of Chatham to the darkness and despair of a far flung battlefield.When tragedy strikes, Lottie is alone once more and thrown back into the jaws of London's streets. With the threat of destitution nipping at her heels, Lottie is in dire need of a miracle . . .Trade Review‘Feisty female characters to fall in love with in a spirited, adventurous novel’ Sunday Express ‘Dilly Court’s latest novel is another page-turner that will keep you gripped to the end – 5 stars’ The People’s Friend More praise for Dilly Court: ‘A fast-paced, riveting read’ Sunday Express ‘A heart-warming, fast-paced story that will keep you gripped till the end’ The People’s Friend ‘As always Dilly keeps you absorbed right to the end’ Choice ‘A rollicking, fast-paced adventure with a hint of romance!’ My Weekly ‘Spellbinding . . . you just keep turning the pages’ Daily Mail ‘Atmospheric, vivid and compelling’ My Weekly ‘An excellent, well-researched read’ People’s Friend ‘Perfect for Downton Abbey fans … heart-tugging’ Peterborough Telegraph
£8.54
Atlantic Books Desert
Book SynopsisYoung Nour is a North African desert tribesman. It is 1909, and as the First World War looms Nour's tribe - the Blue Men - are forced from their lands by French colonial invaders. Spurred on by thirst, hunger, suffering, they seek guidance from a great spiritual leader. The holy man sends them even further from home, on an epic journey northward, in the hope of finding a land in which they can again be free. Decades later, an orphaned descendant of the Blue Men - a girl called Lalla - is living in a shantytown on the coast of Morocco. Lalla has inherited both the pride and the resilience of her tribe - and she will need them, as she makes a bid to escape her forced marriage to a wealthy older man. She flees to Marseilles, where she experiences both the hardships of immigrant life - as a hotel maid - and the material prosperity of those who succeed - when she becomes a successful model. And yet Lalla does not betray the legacy of her ancestors.In these two narratives set in counterpoint, Nobel Prize-winning novelist J. M. G. Le Clézio tells - powerfully and movingly - the story of the 'last free men' and of Europe's colonial legacy - a story of war and exile and of the endurance of the human spirit.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Ambassador's Daughter
Book Synopsis NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING TITLE THE ORPHAN'S TALE OUT NOW Paris, 1919 The nations’ leaders have gathered to rebuild the world from the ashes of the Great War. But for one woman, the City of Light harbours dark secrets and dangerous liaisons. Brought to the peace conference by her German diplomat father, Margot resents being trapped in Paris where she is still looked upon as the enemy. Yet returning to Berlin means a life with the wounded fiancé she barely knows. Torn between duty and the desire to be free, Margot strikes up unlikely alliances: with Krysia, a musician who protects a secret; and with Georg, the handsome, damaged naval officer who makes Margot question where her true loyalties should lie. Against the backdrop of one of the most significant events of the century, a delicate web of lies obscures the line between the casualties of war and of the heart, making trust a luxury that no one can afford. The stunning prequel to the bestselling novel Kommandant’s Girl, heralded a ‘breathtaking debut’ by Publishers Weekly Praise for Pam Jenoff: ‘[A] heartbreakingly romantic story of forbidden love during WW2’ – Heat ‘Must read’ – Daily ExpressTrade ReviewWonderfully compelling… The story grips from the very first page, and the atmosphere of the circus is entrancing – you feel all the terror and thrill of the flying trapeze.’ – Margaret Leroy, author of The Soldier’s Wife ‘Secrets, lies, treachery, and passion…I read this novel in a headlong rush.’ – Christina Barker Kline, #1 bestselling author of Orphan Train ‘A thrilling, yet heart-breaking story of life and love, heroism and sacrifice in wartime Europe’ – My Weekly ‘This is a book not to be missed’ – Melanie Benjamin, bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue and The Aviator’s Wife ‘Jenoff has written a tribute to the human spirit that soars in the midst of epic despair…’–NPR ‘Jenoff’s prose is evocative and compelling’–The Globe and Mail “An emotional tale of survival and courage during a difficult time in Europe.” – Suzy Approved Book Reviews “Jenoff keeps readers on their toes with the numerous twists and turns… as well as the emotional peaks and valleys that had me reaching for tissues more than once.” – Romance Dish “THE ORPHAN’S TALE takes us on a heartbreaking, hopeful, touching and emotional journey; one that is not to be missed.” – Jennifer Blankfein
£13.29
HarperCollins Publishers A Family Secret No. 1 Bestseller of family drama
Book SynopsisThe new No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller from the master storyteller, Josephine Cox.Family secrets can weigh the heaviestAlthough she's surrounded by a loving family, Marie is lonely. The secret she has been carrying for many years is a burden it's telling could ruin the lives of those she loves most.Marie's granddaughter, Cathy, is a cheerful young woman and in the first flush of love. Her grandmother's secret will not only change Cathy's future but rewrite her past.Sister-in-law Beth seems to have a happy life and a goodmarriage but behind closed doors she's heartbreakingly sad. Will she be brave enough to speak out and run away?These three women are at the beginning of a journey one that will change their lives forever.Trade Review‘Family secrets threaten to ruin everything in this beautiful tale of love and sadness’ Woman’s Own ‘This latest novel from Josephine Cox gets straight to the heart of family life . . . Cox pulls at the heartstrings’ Lovereading
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Poisoned Crown
Book SynopsisThis was the original game of thrones' George R.R. MartinNo man is impervious to the poisons of the crownHaving murdered his wife and exiled his mistress, King Louis X of France becomes besotted with Princess Clemence of Hungary and makes her his new Queen.However, though the matter of the succession should be assured, it is far from so, as Louis embarks on an ill-fated war against Flanders.Where his father, Philip IV, was strong, Louis is weak, and the ambitions of his proud, profligate barons threaten his power and the future of a kingdom once ruled by an Iron King.Trade Review‘Iron kings and strangled queens, battles and betrayals, lies and lust, the curse of the Templars, the doom of a great dynasty – and all of it (well, most of it) straight from the pages of history, and believe me, the Starks and the Lannisters have nothing on the Capets and Plantagenets. Whether you are a history buff or a fantasy fan, Druon's epic will keep you turning pages. This was the original game of thrones’GEORGE R.R. MARTIN ‘Blood-curdling tale of intrigue, murder, corruption and sexual passion’SUNDAY TIMES ‘Barbaric, sensual, teeming with life, based in wide reading and sound scholarship…among the best historical novels’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
£9.49
Quercus Publishing The Heretic Queen
Book SynopsisWhen Nefertari's entire family is killed in a fire, she's left to grow up alone, a spare princess in the palace of the new Pharaoh. Her young life is overshadowed by the past - the name of her infamous aunt, Nefertiti, the Heretic Queen, still strikes terror into the hearts of Egyptians. So, when she finds herself falling in love with the young Pharaoh, Ramesses, she knows it's not going to be easy to win his heart. But when the Pharaoh's aunt takes Nefertari under her wing and begins to educate her in the ways to gain a man's attention - and hold it - marriage to him seems within her reach. Yet, even as Ramesses declares his love for her, she knows there's more work to be done. If she's to be queen, all of Egypt must recognise her worth and overcome her connection to the dark, heretical days of the past. Ramesses will face challenges from all sides: war, drought, conquest and the determination of a man named Ahmoses will all threaten his reign. Could Egypt's rulers, and more importantly her people, ever allow him to marry the woman he loves, let alone make her his Queen?Trade ReviewHugely enjoyable - Daily Express * Daily Express *A fascinating window into the past, a heroic story with a very human heart. Compulsively readable! - Diana Gabaldon * Diana Gabaldon *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Jackals Revenge
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£999.99
Little, Brown Book Group A Weekend With Claude
Book Synopsis'Extremely lively' TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT'A work of art' SCOTSMAN'Genius' SUNDAY TIMESAn old snapshot shows a group of friends lounging in the sunshine, on a weekend in the country at the invitation of bearded, satyric Claude and his wife Julia. The girl in the centre is dreamy Lily, whose latest failed love affair forms the purpose of the weekend, as Lily's friends set out to help her ensnare an unwitting father for her unborn child. Next to her is Norman, a Marxist romantic hell-bent on seducing his milk-white hostess; behind them is old, persecuted Shebah; and slightly apart, the young man on whom all hopes are pinned: quiet, pleasant Edward.Told through the fractured narratives of Claude, Lily, Shebah and Norman, in Beryl Bainbridge's first published novel a darkly comic weekend of friendship and failure unravels.Trade ReviewIt is her skewed and deadly grasp of the immediate that makes Bainbridge's work unique. Formerly an actress, she has an uncanny ear for dialogue, a perfect sense of timing and a terse, elliptical narrative style that combine to create a dramatic, or cinematic, tension * New York Times *Extremely lively and incisive entertainment * Times Literary Supplement *[Bainbridge's] genius lies in the comic evocation of the mundane life against which her characters are in revolt * Sunday Times *A riotous, macabre imagination * Daily Telegraph *Delicious . . . Very elegant and pleasing . . . A work of art * Scotsman *Extremely lively and incisive entertainment * Times Literary Supplement *Her genius lies in the comic evocation of the mundane life against which her characters are in perpetual and ineffectual revolt * Sunday Times *Delicious . . . very elegant and pleasing . . . A work of art * Scotsman *
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers Justine 02 Harper Perennial Forbidden Classics
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£999.99
HarperCollins Publishers Journeys End
Book SynopsisFollowing the fortunes of some of the much-loved characters from her bestseller The Journey', Josephine Cox's powerful novel spans continents, decades and generations of one family.Like a ghost from the past, she walked along the platform towards themIt has been over twenty years since Vicky Maitland set foot on English soil. Twenty years since she left Liverpool with her three children, bound for a new life in America, leaving her beloved husband Barney behind.But this long journey home is the hardest of all. She is here in search of the truth, afraid of what she may find. Why did Barney turn against his family so suddenly, so cruelly? Only her old friend Lucy Baker knows what happened. And Lucy promised Barney she would never tell his secret. Is it time she broke her silence and explained the events of so long ago?Trade Review‘This latest novel from the nation's biggest-selling saga writer is…one for true romantics.’ You 'Cox's talent as a storyteller never lets you escape the spell.' Daily Mail 'Impossible to resist.' Woman's Realm
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton No Place for a Woman
Book SynopsisIn the grand tradition of Josephine Cox and Catherine CooksonTrade ReviewShe can hold her own with the most accomplished of romance writers. Her skills lie in colourful, larger-than-life characters and plotting that is able to reinvent familiar traditions of the genre. For fans of full-blooded, vividly drawn romantic drama, Hutchinson is top of the tree. * Amazon, UK *Meg Hutchinson's storytelling skills are attracting a bigger and bigger audience. * Newcastle Evening Chronicle *This old-fashioned drama has some wonderful villains and villainesses and at the end the most unlikely hero * Driffield Post *This super tale will appeal to lovers of romantic stories with a real bite to them * Bolton Evening News *The magnificent writing tosses and turns with action, intrigue, mystery and romance. It's thrilling right from the beginning and ranks Meg amongst the finest, present-day authors. * Gwynedd Chronicle *NO PLACE OF ANGELS:'Meg Hutchinson weaves a tale of heartbreak, jealousy and good winning over evil with this her fourth novel' * Nuneaton Evening Telegraph on NO PLACE OF ANGELS *
£11.22
Little, Brown Book Group ColdHearted Rake
Book Synopsis''I''m just so excited for everyone to discover Cold-Hearted Rake, and for me to read the rest of the Ravenel series!'' Sarah MacLeanA twist of fate . . . Devon Ravenel, London''s most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities, and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl''s three innocent sisters are still occupying the house . . . along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are more than a match for Devon''s own. A clash of wills . . . Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is impossible to deny - and from the first moment Devon holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his skilfully eTrade ReviewIntricately and elegantly crafted, intensely romantic . . . will leave readers anxiously awaiting more. A gratifying series starter from a not-to-be-missed romance author * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *A gratifying series starter from a not-to-be-missed romance author. * Kirkus *The first in a new historical series delivers everything readers have come to expect from RITA Award-winning Kleypas, including insightful characterization, an abundance of super-charged sexual chemistry, a dash of dry humor, and a to-die-for hero, all of which will have the author's legions of fans giddy with delight at her triumphant return to historical romance. * Booklist *Kleypas is an amazing writer. In my opinion, she might be the most technically skilled historical romance author out there. * Smart Bitches, Trashy Books *Cold-Hearted Rake brings to mind some of the best elements of her Hathaway, Wallflower, Gambler, and Capital Theatre series novels....Reading Kleypas' long-awaited return to historical is akin to walking into the arms of an old friend. * Heroes and Heartbreakers *The first in a new historical series delivers everything readers have come to expect from RITA Award-winning Kleypas, including insightful characterization, an abundance of super-charged sexual chemistry, a dash of dry humor, and a to-die-for hero, all of which will have the author's legions of fans giddy with delight at her triumphant return to historical romance. * Booklist (starred review) *A cadre of three dimensional characters who captivate from the moment you meet them and a multilayered plot that allows the characters to grow will keep fans intrigued by this addictive, rewarding story. * Library Journal (starred review) *Intricately and elegantly crafted, intensely romantic, and with secondary characters and an epilogue that will leave readers anxiously awaiting more. A gratifying series starter from a not-to-be-missed romance author. * Kirkus (starred review) *Readers are introduced to the unforgettable characters and their original personalities through a delightful storyline peppered with sharp repartee and steamy sensuality. * RT Book Reviews *I simply cannot wait to see where Kleypas goes with the next three books. I also need her to write them faster. SERIOUSLY FASTER. I'd recommend this book for anyone who likes their happily ever afters to involve corsets, their sexual tension to involve witty banter, and their books to end with the promise of more. * Romance and Smut *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Hild
Book Synopsis''Truly, truly remarkable'' Karen Joy Fowler''Extraordinary...resonates to many of the same chords as Beowulf, the legends of King Arthur, The Lord of the Rings, and Game of Thrones'' Neal Stephenson''You are a prophet and seer with the brightest mind in an age. Your blood is that of the man who should have been king ...That''s what the king and his lords see. And they will kill you, one day''In seventh century Britain, a new religion is coming ashore while small kingdoms are merging, frequently and violently. Hild is the king''s youngest niece, with a glittering mind and natural authority, She is destined to become one of the pivotal figures of the early Middle Ages: Saint Hilda of Whitby. But for now she has only the powerful curiosity of a child and the precarious advantage of a plotting uncle, Edwin of Northumbria, who will stop at nothing to beome king of the Angles. Hild establishes herself at
£10.44
Hodder & Stoughton A Pennyworth of Sunshine
Book SynopsisLove can cross oceans . . .Keara Michaels doesn''t want to leave her family in Ireland, but fate sends her first to Lancashire, then across the sea to Australia, pregnant and penniless. And Theo Mullane, the man who loves her, is married, with an ailing baby son, so cannot follow her as he longs to.Mark Gibson leaves Lancashire to avoid marriage. But gold prospecting is a dangerous pursuit, and when his gentle young wife dies in childbirth, his father-in-law kidnaps the baby. So Mark runs away again, this time to Western Australia, where he employs Keara in his country inn.But danger threatens them all, even in the bush, as Keara searches for her lost sisters, Theo comes looking for the woman he loves, and Mark at last confronts his past.**********************What readers are saying about A PENNYWORTH OF SUNSHINE''I couldn''t put it down'' - 5 stars''An excellent read from start to finish'' - 5 stars''Brilliant, as always . . . Anna Jacobs never fails to keep the story line motivated, gripping, and endearing'' - 5 starsTrade ReviewPraise for Anna Jacobs[Anna Jacobs' books have an] impressive grasp of human emotions * The Sunday Times *Anna Jacobs' books are deservedly popular. She is one of the best writers of Lancashire sagas around * Historical Novels Review *[Anna Jacobs is] especially big on resourceful, admirable women. Great stuff! * Daily Mail *Reader reviews on A PENNYWORTH OF SUNSHINEAnother joy from the pen of Anna Jacobs. ***** * Reader review *A brilliant read. ***** * Reader review *A captivating read. ***** * Reader review *Catherine Cookson fans will cheer * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *
£8.54
Hodder & Stoughton Twopenny Rainbows
Book SynopsisThe new Anna Jacobs saga continues the story of the younger sisters of Keara Michaels, the heroine of A PENNYWORTH OF SUNSHINE, following their fortunes from nineteenth-century Ireland to the brave new world of Australia.Trade ReviewPraise for Anna Jacobs[Anna Jacobs' books have an] impressive grasp of human emotions * The Sunday Times *Anna Jacobs' books are deservedly popular. She is one of the best writers of Lancashire sagas around * Historical Novels Review *[Anna Jacobs is] especially big on resourceful, admirable women. Great stuff! * Daily Mail *Reader reviews on TWOPENNY RAINBOWSAnother wonderful book - Anna Jacobs has never let me down. ***** * Reader review *Excellent reading, didn't want to put the book down! * Reader review *Only to be expected: another brilliant read by Anna Jacobs. I just love her books. ***** * Reader review *
£8.54
Random House USA Inc The Horse Whisperer
Book Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A compelling portrait of three people who love each other but can't break through the self-created walls that keep them apart.”—Chicago Sun-TimesHis name is Tom Booker. His voice can calm wild horses, his touch can heal broken spirits. And Annie Graves has traveled across a continent to the Booker ranch in Montana, desperate to heal her injured daughter, the girl’s savage horse, and her own wounded heart. She comes for hope. She comes for her child. And beneath the wide Montana sky, she comes to him for what no one else can give her: a reason to believe.Praise for The Horse Whisperer“Compelling . . . a real page-turner.”—San Francisco Chronicle“Fascinating . . . moving . . . a big, engrossing book [with] an unexpected endeing that surprises mightily.”—Los Angeles Times“Brilliance pervades this five-hankerchief weepie.”—The Times (London)“Outstanding . . . a book of rare power and beauty.”—Booklist
£9.49
Random House USA Inc Until the End of Time
Book Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERTwo couples, four decades apart. One believes that if lovers die, they find each other again in another life. Or perhaps they wind up as stars side by side in the sky, together forever. Who knows how it really ends? Danielle Steel breaks new ground in her career as a perennial New York Times bestseller with the poignant story of two parallel destinies, and the kind of love we all hope will be everlasting. UNTIL THE END OF TIMEBill, a dedicated young lawyer working at his family’s prestigious New York firm, leaves everything he trained for to follow his dream and become a minister in rural Wyoming. Jenny, his wife, is a stylist whose heart and soul are invested in fashion. She leaves the milieu and life she loves to join him. The certainty they share is that their destinies are linked forever. Fast forward thirty-eight years. Robert is a hardworking independent book publisher in Manhattan who h
£8.50
Little, Brown Book Group A Long Way From Verona
Book SynopsisI ought to tell you at the beginning that I am not quite normal having had a violent experience at the age of nine''Jessica Vye''s ''violent experience'' colours her schooldays and her reaction to the world around her- a confining world of Order Marks, wartime restrictions, viyella dresses, nicely-restrained essays and dusty tea shops. For Jessica she has been told that she is ''beyond all possible doubt'', a born writer. With her inability to conform, her absolute compulsion to tell the truth and her dedication to accurately noting her experiences, she knows this anyway. But what she doesn''t know is that the experiences that sustain and enrich her burgeoning talent will one day lead to a new- and entirely unexpected- reality.
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton The Island Wife
Book SynopsisThere's a romantic Scottish setting to this 19th-century family saga about two sisters who fall in love with the same man.Trade ReviewJessica Stirling's high reputation is well deserved. * Manchester Evening News *She writes in bright colours with bold, confident strokes. * Glasgow Herald *Jessica Stirling is one of Scotland's most prolific and best-loved authors. * Scottish Daily Record *One of the best. * Bookseller *
£9.49
Bedford Square Publishers The Pale House
Book SynopsisGerman intelligence officer Captain Gregor Reinhardt has just been reassigned to the Feldjaegerkorps - a new branch of the military police with far-reaching powers. His position separates him from the friends and allies he has made in the last two years, including a circle of fellow dissenting Germans who formed a rough resistance cell against the Nazis. And he needs them now more than ever. While retreating through Yugoslavia with the rest of the army, Reinhardt witnesses a massacre of civilians by the dreaded Ustaše - only to discover there is more to the incident than anyone believes. When five mutilated bodies turn up, Reinhardt knows the stakes are growing more important - and more dangerous. As his investigation begins to draw the attention of those in power, Reinhardt's friends and associates are made to suffer. But as he desperately tries to uncover the truth, his own past with the Ustaše threatens his efforts. Because when it comes to death and betrayal, some people have long memories. And they remember Reinhardt all too well. And now, Reinhardt will have to fight them once more.Trade ReviewVery well written and wonderfully descriptive -- Tricia Chappell * Mystery People *a multilayered tale of war, political upheaval and fragile hope * Kirkus Reviews *In March 1945 Captain Gregor Reinhardt finds himself back in Sarajevo after a two year gap -- Maryom * Our Book Reviews *the tale creates...a complex, exceptional character in action -- Chris Roberts * Crime Review UK *A wonderfully accomplished war-time thriller * Crime Time *
£12.34
Hodder & Stoughton Credo
Book SynopsisBritain during the Dark Ages is the setting for the fascinating story of Bega, a young Irish princess who became a saint, and her lifelong bond with Padric, prince of the north-western kingdom of Rheged. This dramatic, far-reaching tale brings to life a land of warring kings, Christians and pagans, and tribes divided by language and culture, illuminating a little-known yet critical period in British history.Trade ReviewA gripping saga of great passion ... sustained, impassioned and uplifting * The Times *An absorbing epic ... as splendid a ripping yarn as any of the best classics * Daily Telegraph *A gripping, deeply accomplished work * Evening Standard *I loved it ... Bragg's stately, seething, passionate epic is several cuts above modern attempts at historical fiction * Literary Review *A beguiling entry into a society strange, neglected, important, tragic in many of its triumphs * Spectator *Wonderfully evocative, passionate and erudite ... No summary could do justice to a book of this erudition, romance and scope * Glasgow Herald *
£10.44
Hodder & Stoughton The Clearing
Book SynopsisByron Aldridge, heir to a timber empire, returns from the First World War a changed man and finds refuge as a company policeman in a backwoods Louisiana sawmill. Soon his younger brother Randolph tracks him down, assuming charge of the mill in the hope of rescuing his former idol. But as the brothers try to understand each other and their wives contend with their own hopes and fears, it is Randolph who starts a feud with the Sicilians who control the whisky and girls, and the future grows fearsome for them all.Trade ReviewSo firmly located and vividly realised that you can almost smell the Louisiana swampwater ... a gripping, action-packed tale, but also a notably intelligent one * Jem Poster, Guardian *Astonishingly powerful ... brilliantly written and the characters in their mire are superbly realised * Toby Clements, Daily Telegraph *An extraordinary novel, one of the best I've read in years * Annie Proulx, Guardian Summer Books *I cannot recommend it highly enough. * Peter Straus, Literary Review *Gautreaux captures the fetid atmosphere of a frontier society poised to join the modern world with great skill, each sentence polished to perfection * Independent on Sunday *Near-perfect ... untouchably good * Alan Warner, Daily Telegraph Summer Books *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Roots
Book SynopsisAlex Haley taught himself to write during a twenty-year stint in the US Coast Guard. He became its first Chief Journalist, a position he held until he retired in 1959 to become a magazine writer and interviewer. His first book was The Autobiography of Malcolm X, after which he spent twelve years researching and writing Roots, which won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award.Alex Haley died in Seattle, Washington in 1992.Trade ReviewHaley succeeds beautifully where many have failed... The book is an act of love, and it is this which makes it haunting -- James Baldwin * New York Times *A gripping mixture of urban confessional and political manifesto, it not only inspired a generation of black activists, but drove home the bitter realities of racism to a mainstream white liberal audience * Observer *Groundbreaking * Associated Press *A Pulitzer Prize-winning story about the family ancestry of author Alex Haley... [and] a symbolic chronicle of the odyssey of African Americans from the continent of Africa to a land not of their choosing * Washington Post *
£11.69
Atlantic Books When the Doves Disappeared
Book Synopsis1941: In Communist-ruled, war-ravaged Estonia, two men are fleeing from the Red Army - Roland, a fiercely principled freedom fighter, and his slippery cousin Edgar. When the Germans arrive, Roland goes into hiding; Edgar abandons his unhappy wife, Juudit, and takes on a new identity as a loyal supporter of the Nazi regime... 1963: Estonia is again under Communist control, independence even further out of reach behind the Iron Curtain. Edgar is now a Soviet apparatchik, desperate to hide the secrets of his past life and stay close to those in power. But his fate remains entangled with Roland's, and with Juudit, who may hold the key to uncovering the truth... In a masterfully told story that moves between the tumult of these two brutally repressive eras - a story of surveillance, deception, passion, and betrayal - Sofi Oksanen brings to life both the frailty, and the resilience, of humanity under the shadow of tyranny.Trade ReviewA powerful, angry work * Mail on Sunday *Superb... Over it hangs a Graham Greene-like atmosphere of human wretchedness and compromised political faith * Sunday Telegraph, ***** *A thrilling page-turner but equally a shattering family drama and an unsparing deconstruction of history... Oksanen is a serious novelist in all ways * Independent *Betrayal, secrecy and memory are the haunting themes of Oksanen's accomplished novel... Her insights and intuition mean that she is fast becoming one of the foremost voices in the ex-communist world * The Economist *
£9.49
SPCK Publishing Edwin: High King of Britain
Book SynopsisEdwin, the deposed king of Northumbria, seeks refuge at the court of King Raedwald of East Anglia. But Raedwald is urged to kill his guest by Aethelfrith, Edwin's usurper. As Edwin walks by the shore, alone and at bay, he is confronted by a mysterious figure - the missionary Paulinus - who prophesies that he will become High King of Britain. It is a turning point. Through battles and astute political alliances Edwin rises to great power, in the process marrying the Kentish princess Aethelburh. As part of the marriage contract the princess is allowed to retain her Christian faith. But, in these times, to be a king is not a recipe for a long life : This turbulent and tormented period in British history sees the conversion of the Anglo-Saxon settlers who have forced their way on to British shores over previous centuries, arriving first to pillage, then to farm and trade - and to come to terms with the world view of the Celtic tribes they have driven out.Trade Review`Edwin: High King of Britain, brings to life the heroic age of our distant past, a splendid novel that leaves the reader wanting more.’ -- Bernard Cornwell"A fast-paced and gripping tale, reclaiming one of our great national figures from the shadows of history.” -- Justin Hill"Albert’s offering is a highly entertaining and refreshing work of historical fiction thanks to his emphasis on the precarious intersection of religion and identity.” * Publishers Weekly *
£8.99
Vintage Publishing The Master of Go
Book SynopsisYasunari Kawabata, winner of the 1968 Nobel Prize for Literature, was one of Japan's most distinguished novelists. Born in Osaka in 1899, he published his first stories while he was still in high school. Among his major novels published across the world are Snow Country (1956), Thousand Cranes (1959), The Sound of the Mountain (1972), and Beauty and Sadness (1975). Kawabata was found dead, by his own hand, in 1972.Trade ReviewThis novel is one of modern literature's greatest, most poignant elegies * Washington Post *Kawabata's narrative spirals through the book's events in ruminative glides and turns... There is a kind of low-key daring, an austere, autumnal nobility, in Kawabata's tale * Time *An archetypal saga... there are storms and landscapes as cool, as luminous, as any in Japanese paintings and woodcuts * The New Yorker *
£10.44
Profile Books Ltd Nightrunners of Bengal
Book SynopsisFirst published in 1951, The Nightrunners of Bengal is one of John Masters' series of seven novels which followed several generations of the Savage family serving in the British Army in India.Nightrunners of Bengal focuses on the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The central character, Captain Rodney Savage, is an officer in a Bengal Native Infantry regiment, based in the fictional city of Bhowani. When rebellion breaks out, the British community in Bengal is shattered. Savage's empathy for the Indians is shaken, as the British try to discover who is loyal to them and who is not.One of the great novels of India, Nightrunners of Bengal combines John Master's mastery of story-telling with an intuitive sense of history. This was the first novel that Masters wrote in the series, though not the first novel chronologically, and alongside Bhowani Junction is one of his best-known works.Trade ReviewThe best historical novel about the Indian Mutiny that I have ever read. -- John Raymond * Sunday Times *Simply as gripping exotic tales, his books read splendidly still... but they deserve to be read also as a revelation to the young and a reminder to the old of a vanished world. * The Tablet *One of the most unjustly neglected writers... magnificent storytelling. * Evening Gazette *
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Angels of Lovely Lane
Book SynopsisAs heart-warming as it is heartbreaking, this novel is unputdownable' Sunday Express. It is 1953 and five very different girls are arriving at the nurses' home in Lovely Lane, Liverpool, to start their training at St Angelus Hospital. Dana has escaped from her family farm on the west coast of Ireland. Victoria is running away from a debt-ridden aristocratic background. Beth is an army brat and throws her lot in with bitchy Celia Forsyth. And Pammy has come from quite the wrong side of the tracks in Liverpool. The world in which they now find themselves is complicated and hierarchical, with rules that must be obeyed. Everyone has their place at St Angelus and woe betide anyone who strays from it. But when an unknown girl is admitted, after a botched late abortion in a backstreet kitchen, a tragedy begins to unfold which will rock the world of St Angelus to its foundations. Can't wait for the next one? THE CHILDREN OF LOVELY LANE is out now! What people are saying about THE ANGELS OF LOVELY LANE: 'Nadine Dorries's writing is sparkling and vibrant, her books are a joy to read' 'The book was like a dream – difficult to put down' 'You feel as if you know the characters personally!' 'Enthralling read, can't wait to read moreTrade ReviewAs heart-warming as it is heartbreaking, this novel is unputdownable * Sunday Express *The characters are engaging... and the theme of the novel powerful' * The Times *A riveting tale packed full of history, love and deceit * OK! Magazine *Captivating, phenomenal and touching * 23 Review Street *A multi-layered book [with] gorgeous sentences and sensational plotlines * With Love for Books *It was a time when desperate women sought back-street abortions and bigoted attitudes were rife, and the book addresses some of the beliefs thatt they struggled with, both in their own lives and those of their patients and colleague * Woman Alive *
£7.59
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Throwaway Children
Book SynopsisGritty, heartrending and unputdownable – the story of two sisters sent first to an English, then an Australian orphanage in the aftermath of World War II. Rita and Rosie Stevens are only nine and five years old when their widowed mother marries a violent bully called Jimmy Randall and has a baby boy by him. Under pressure from her new husband, she is persuaded to send the girls to an orphanage – not knowing that the papers she has signed will entitle them to do what they like with the children. And it is not long before the powers that be decide to send a consignment of orphans to their sister institution in Australia. Among them – without their family's consent or knowledge – are Rita and Rosie, the throwaway children. What readers are saying about THE THROWAWAY CHILDREN: 'I haven't felt so immersed in a book in a very long time and have recommended to just about everyone' 'Heart wrenching' 'A truly powerful book'Trade ReviewThe story is a compelling one and as a consequence, the book is very hard to put down... many a reader will inevitably find themselves heckling the characters from the sidelines, encouraging the good guys and booing the baddies' * The Bookbag *Enlightening, compelling and emotional * Living North *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The Memoirs of Cleopatra
Book SynopsisMargaret George is the author of several bestselling novels, including Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles, Mary, Called Magdalene and, most recently, Elizabeth I. She travels widely to research her novels and lives with her husband in Madison, Wisconsin.
£13.49
Dalen (Llyfrau) Cyf Druids: 3. Voyage of Discovery
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£9.49
Random House USA Inc The Strangers Child
Book SynopsisA National Book Critics Award finalist from the Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Line of Beauty and The Sparsholt Affair: a magnificent, century-spanning saga about a love triangle that spawns a myth, and a family mystery, across generations. In the summer of 1913, George Sawle brings his Cambridge schoolmate—a handsome, aristocratic young poet named Cecil Valance—to his family’s home outside London. George is enthralled by Cecil, and soon his sister, Daphne, is equally besotted by him. That weekend, Cecil writes a poem that, after he is killed in the Great War and his reputation burnished, will become a touchstone for a generation, a work recited by every schoolchild in England. Over time, a tragic love story is spun, even as other secrets lie buried—until, decades later, an ambitious biographer threatens to unearth them.
£999.99
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Dictator
Book SynopsisThe long-awaited final volume of the Cicero Trilogy, from the beloved bestselling author of Conclave who is “incapable of writing an unenjoyable book”—The Wall Street JournalA Best Book of the Year: The Guardian, The Sunday Times (London), The Mail on Sunday, The Spectator, BBC History Magazine, Metro, and The Herald (Glasgow)At the age of forty-eight, Cicero—the greatest orator of his time—is in exile, his power sacrificed on the altar of his principles. The only way to return to Rome is to pledge his support to a charismatic and dangerous enemy: Julius Caesar. Harnessing his political cunning, unrivalled intellect, and the sheer brilliance of his words, Cicero fights his way back to prominence. Yet no public figure is completely safeguarded against the unscrupulous ambition of others. Riveting and tumultuous, Dictator encompasses the most epic events in ancient history, including the collapse of the Roman Republic, the murder of Pompey, and the assassination of Caesar. But its central question is a timeless one: how to keep political freedom unsullied by personal gain, vested interests, and the corrosive effects of ceaseless foreign wars. In Robert Harris’s indelible portrait, Cicero is a deeply fascinating hero for his own time and for ours.
£15.20
Penguin Putnam Inc Girl with a Pearl Earring
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£15.30
Pan Macmillan Les Misérables
Book SynopsisLes Misérables is a magnificent, sweeping story of revolution, love and the will to survive set amidst the poverty stricken streets of nineteeth-century Paris.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition has features an introduction by Paul Bailey.Escaped convict Jean Valjean turns his back on his criminal past to build his fortunes as an honest man. He takes in abandoned orphan Cosette and raises her as his own daughter. But Jean Valjean is unable to free himself from his previous life and is pursued to the end by ruthless policeman Javert. As Cosette grows up, young idealist Marius catches a glimpse of her and falls desperately in love. The fates of all the characters await them during the violent turmoil of the June Rebellion in 1832.This abridged version of Victor Hugo's masterpiece was published in 1915 with the aim to provide 'a unified story of the life and soul-struggles of Jean Valjean'.Trade ReviewLes Misérables is probably the best book ever written . . . it really is an incredible classic. -- Dominic West * Metro *Les Misérables is a game with destiny: it dramatises the gap between the imperfections of human judgments, and the perfect patterns of the infinite -- Adam Thirlwell * The Guardian *On the morning of April 4, 1862, part 1 of Les Misérables, called “Fantine,” was released simultaneously in Brussels, Paris, Saint Petersburg, London, Leipzig, and several other European cities. No book had ever had an international launch on this scale -- Nina Martyris * The Paris Review *
£10.79
Everyman The General in his Labyrinth
Book SynopsisWith the style and eloquent language that earned him the Nobel prize for literature, Marquez weaves a stunning story of glory and despair. Both real history and Marquez' imagination let us enter the world of Simon Bolivar, Liberator of South America, in all his humanity - good and evil. Bolivar drove the Spanish out of South America, dealt with treachery from his own compatriots. Once hailed as a hero, he is now scorned and reviled, and fighting his own demons, he refuses to die quietly. We are given a glimpse of the genius and foibles of the man behind the legend, as we accompany him on his last journey, accompanied only by the loyal remants of his once great army.
£11.69
Everyman The Name of the Rose
Book SynopsisWho is killing monks in a great medieval abbey famed for its library - and why? Brother William of Baskerville is sent to find out, taking with him the assistant who later tells the tale of his investigations. Eco's celebrated story combines elements of detective fiction, metaphysical thriller, post-modernist puzzle and historical novel in one of the few twentieth-century books which can be described as genuinely unique.The Name of the Rose was made into a film in 1986, starring Sean Connery and Christian Slater and directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud.Trade Review'[It} confirms Eco as an outstanding writer of philosophy dressed as fiction' -- Stephanie Merrit * Observer *'Eco does something rare: he makes ideas moving' -- Michael Pye * Scotsman *
£14.24
Penguin Putnam Inc BenHur Signet Classics Paperback
Book SynopsisBen-Hur is the remarkable saga of a man framed for attempting to murder a Roman official, and condemned to death as a galley slave. Epic in scope, it recreates Imperial Rome from a thrilling sea battle, to the famous chariot race, to the agony of Crucifixion.
£8.95
Random House USA Inc The Apartment
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£8.54
Penguin Random House LLC The Bastard
£999.99
Vintage Publishing The Bridge Over the Drina
Book SynopsisIn the small Bosnian town of Visegrad the stone bridge of the novel's title, built in the sixteenth century on the instruction of a grand vezir, bears witness to three centuries of conflict. Visegrad has long been a bone of contention between the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires, but the bridge survives unscathed until 1914, when the collision of forces in the Balkans triggers the outbreak of World War I.The bridge spans generations, nationalities and creeds, silent testament to the lives played out on it. Radisav, a workman, tries to hinder its construction and is impaled alive on its highest point; beautiful Fata leaps from its parapet to escape an arranged marriage; Milan, inveterate gamble, risks all in one last game on it. With humour and compassion, Andric chronicles the lives of Catholics, Muslims and Orthodox Christians unable to reconcile their disparate loyalties.Trade ReviewIn high school, one Saturday, I started reading a book by the Yugoslav novelist Ivo Andric: The Bridge on the Drina. By the time I finished it something in me had shifted forever * New Statesman *Despite its scale, what makes the book extraordinary is the tender insight with which it treats these individual lives, whether Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim or Jewish * Independent *Perhaps the most widely translated Yugoslav book since the last war is Ivo Andric's The Bridge on the Drina... No better example could have been selected with which to introduce the American public to contemporary Yugoslav prose * New York Times *The best kind of fictionalised history * Daily Telegraph *The wealth and variety of its fictional elements carry it so far beyond the confines of a straightforward novel, it cannot be limited to such a description. It puts one in mind of a collection of tales, but no collection of tales (not even A Thousand and One Nights or Washington Irving's stories) ever possessed such a unity and continuity of theme * Le Monde *
£11.69
