Historical Fiction Books

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Book SynopsisFrom the end of the Napoleonic Wars to Confederation, central Canada was awash with migrants from the British Isles and their cultural values. The raw prejudice that they brought with them against the French, the Catholics, and even Yanks and Europeans bound together the eventual political majority in Ontario. The Orangeman uses the life of Ogle Gowan, an Irish Protestant upstart from County Wexford who turned central Canada Orange, to explore these forces.Gowan was ambitious, malicious, and mendacious, but by the time of Confederation the Orange Order was the largest alliance of men in the country the foundation of the coalition of conservative Protestants that sculpted Canadian politics in the century that followed. Don Akenson uses his skills as a historian and a novelist in respecting the historical record. The Orangeman is a lively and entertaining fictional biography, and in Akenson's telling Gowan crosses swords with William Lyon Mackenzie and goes pub-Trade Review“A commentary upon an historical figure and the writing of history itself. This gives the book a delicious irony that just might herald the advent of post-modernism in Canadian historical scholarship.” Ontario History“A fascinating book that asks and answers the questions historians often avoid.” The Globe and Mail

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Book SynopsisBorn in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Margaret Dickinson moved to the coast at the age of seven and so began her love for the sea and the Lincolnshire landscape. Her ambition to be a writer began early and she had her first novel published at the age of twenty-five. She has since written over thirty further titles including Plough the Furrow, Sow the Seed and Reap the Harvest, which make up her Lincolnshire Fleethaven Trilogy. Many of her novels are set in the heart of her home county but in Tangled Threads and Twisted Strands, the stories include not only Lincolnshire but also the framework knitting and lace industries of Nottingham.

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Book SynopsisBilled as "a Taiwanese 'Gone With the Wind'", this story spans more than half a century of Taiwan's history, tracing the fortunes of the Pengs, a family of Hakka Chinese settlers, across three generations from the 1890s, just before Taiwan was ceded to Japan, to World War II.Trade ReviewThis novel is classic historical fiction presented in a very real and intriguingly perceptive style. A masterpiece! -- Viviane Crystal The Historical Novels Review Li Qiao's Wintry Night trilogy is a landmark of Taiwan fiction and Taiwanese consciousness... This English version is expertly translated. World Literature TodayTable of ContentsForeword Translator's Introduction Part 1. Wintry Night 1. The Peng Family Make Their Way to Fanzai Wood 2. Days on Guard 3. Planting Potatoes, Making Potash, Death 4. The Unexpected 5. Love 6. Death and Disaster 7. Change 8. The Japanese Arrive 9. Endless Wintry Night Part 2. The Lone Lamp 1. The Sound of Weeping 2. Good-bye 3. Ten Thousand Miles of Sea and Sky 4. The Clouds and the Moon 5. Misfortune 6. Good-byes on the Grass 7. Misty Spring Days 8. Sacrificial Rites 9. Women of the Mountains 10. The Journey of the Salmon 11. The Eternal Lamp

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Book SynopsisIn this Ming-era novel, historical narrative, raucous humor, and the supernatural are interwoven to tell the tale of an attempt to overthrow the Song dynasty. Quelling the Demons’ Revolt is centered on the rebellion led by Wang Ze in 1047–48, warning of the vulnerability of a world plagued by demonic forces as well as mundane corruption.Trade ReviewQuelling the Demons' Revolt is a marvelous late Ming novel, here beautifully translated by Patrick Hanan. It features a strong heroine, Eterna Hu (or is she a villain?). The demonic exists just under the surface of everyday life, and when it erupts into full revolt, supernatural powers are called upon to restore order. Martial ardor, political authority, and magic propel the plot of the novel. Although I do not want to diminish the ways in which it would be useful in classrooms in a variety of disciplines (literature, religion, gender studies), its utility should not obscure the fact that it is a rollicking good read. -- Ann Waltner, University of Minnesota Quelling the Demon's Revolt by Patrick Hanan is a spirited translation. Beginning with a revolt led by a messianic Buddhist movement, the novel moves from historical events of the eleventh century to stories of folly and venality that resonate with audiences of any era. This comic novel is a cornucopia of tales about trickery, seduction, demonology and the supernatural, played out by pawnbrokers, seducers, rebels, dim-witted magistrates and strong-minded women. Hanan's translation deftly captures the wit and vitality of the original work. -- Anne McLaren, The University of Melbourne Good tidings! In this new, posthumous translation of one of the most delightful and neglected examples of the early modern Chinese novel, Patrick Hanan's stylish brush lives again. There is near perfect fusion between the magic feats depicted in this riotous novel of unruly demons run amok in the everyday world and the magic of the translator's voice to conjure them up for us. The perfect length and subject matter for classroom teaching. -- Judith Zeitlin, University of ChicagoTable of ContentsIntroduction Quelling the Demons' Revolt Notes

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Book SynopsisYao-Chang Chen’s historical novel Puppet Flower retells the story of the 1867 sinking of the American merchant ship the Rover and its aftermath. He brings to light the pivotal role of this incident in Taiwanese history, merging documented events and literary imagination.Trade ReviewThis well-wrought book transports us to a complicated yet majestic period in Taiwan’s history. A significant novel, steeped in this unique place while echoing around the world. -- Lu Ping, author of Love and Revolution: A Novel About Song Qingling and Sun Yat-senWas Formosa a place too treacherous to visit? The author of Puppet Flower boldly takes up this question and tries to answer it from various perspectives, most notably that of the island's indigenous peoples. Strongly recommended! -- Li Ang, author of The Lost Garden: A NovelThis engaging historical novel shows how a small event on a remote island can make history. -- Ping-hui Liao, Chuan Lyu Endowed Chair in Taiwan Studies, University of California, San DiegoIn the novel Puppet Flower, Chen explores the complex intersection of international politics and cross-cultural exchange in mid-nineteenth century Taiwan. By imagining the contributions of a mixed-race sibling pair, Chen brings to life the actions and complex societies of indigenous and plains peoples at the threshold of new forms of colonialism. -- Margaret Mih Tillman, author of Raising China's Revolutionaries: Modernizing Childhood for Cosmopolitan Nationalists and Liberated Comrades, 1920s-1950s[A] nuanced depiction of a formative Formosa. * Taipei Times *Chen’s novel successfully delivers an alternative history of Taiwan in which all the involved subjectivities, especially those that have traditionally been neglected by official narratives, are given a voice. -- Serena De Marchi * Asian Review of Books *The whole novel is fascinating in that it mixes in a fairly messy but also fairly conventional personal story with the complex manoeuvrings of the various powers seeking control of Taiwan. -- John Alvey * The Modern Novel *[A] unique reimagining of an obscure event in 'a turning point' year in Taiwanese history. Told from a multitude of perspectives, particularly of indigenous peoples, Chen’s story does not sacrifice history and complicated colonial relations for cute dramatic contrivances. This is historical fiction with an emphasis on the former. -- Peggy Kurkowski * The Historical Novels Review *Table of ContentsForeword, by Michael BerryPrefaceAcknowledgmentsList of Principal Characters1. A Pyrrhic Victory2. The Tragedy That Befell the Rover3. Orphans of Mixed Blood4. Identity Revealed5. Repulse of the Foreign Forces6. Serenity Lost and Found7. Troops Marching8. Puppet Mountains9. Praying to Guanyin10. EpilogueMaps and IllustrationsGlossaryNotes

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Book SynopsisYao-Chang Chen’s historical novel Puppet Flower retells the story of the 1867 sinking of the American merchant ship the Rover and its aftermath. He brings to light the pivotal role of this incident in Taiwanese history, merging documented events and literary imagination.Trade ReviewThis well-wrought book transports us to a complicated yet majestic period in Taiwan’s history. A significant novel, steeped in this unique place while echoing around the world. -- Lu Ping, author of Love and Revolution: A Novel About Song Qingling and Sun Yat-senWas Formosa a place too treacherous to visit? The author of Puppet Flower boldly takes up this question and tries to answer it from various perspectives, most notably that of the island's indigenous peoples. Strongly recommended! -- Li Ang, author of The Lost Garden: A NovelThis engaging historical novel shows how a small event on a remote island can make history. -- Ping-hui Liao, Chuan Lyu Endowed Chair in Taiwan Studies, University of California, San DiegoIn the novel Puppet Flower, Chen explores the complex intersection of international politics and cross-cultural exchange in mid-nineteenth century Taiwan. By imagining the contributions of a mixed-race sibling pair, Chen brings to life the actions and complex societies of indigenous and plains peoples at the threshold of new forms of colonialism. -- Margaret Mih Tillman, author of Raising China's Revolutionaries: Modernizing Childhood for Cosmopolitan Nationalists and Liberated Comrades, 1920s-1950s[A] nuanced depiction of a formative Formosa. * Taipei Times *Chen’s novel successfully delivers an alternative history of Taiwan in which all the involved subjectivities, especially those that have traditionally been neglected by official narratives, are given a voice. -- Serena De Marchi * Asian Review of Books *The whole novel is fascinating in that it mixes in a fairly messy but also fairly conventional personal story with the complex manoeuvrings of the various powers seeking control of Taiwan. -- John Alvey * The Modern Novel *[A] unique reimagining of an obscure event in 'a turning point' year in Taiwanese history. Told from a multitude of perspectives, particularly of indigenous peoples, Chen’s story does not sacrifice history and complicated colonial relations for cute dramatic contrivances. This is historical fiction with an emphasis on the former. -- Peggy Kurkowski * The Historical Novels Review *Table of ContentsForeword, by Michael BerryPrefaceAcknowledgmentsList of Principal Characters1. A Pyrrhic Victory2. The Tragedy That Befell the Rover3. Orphans of Mixed Blood4. Identity Revealed5. Repulse of the Foreign Forces6. Serenity Lost and Found7. Troops Marching8. Puppet Mountains9. Praying to Guanyin10. EpilogueMaps and IllustrationsGlossaryNotes

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Book SynopsisNOW A SUNDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLERFROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE TEA PLANTER''S WIFEDinah Jefferies'' stunning new novel is a gripping, unforgettable tale of a woman torn between two worlds...1952, French Indochina. Since her mother''s death, eighteen-year-old half-French, half-Vietnamese Nicole has been living in the shadow of her beautiful older sister, Sylvie. When Sylvie is handed control of the family silk business, Nicole is given an abandoned silk shop in the Vietnamese quarter of Hanoi. But the area is teeming with militant rebels who want to end French rule, by any means possible. For the first time, Nicole is awakened to the corruption of colonial rule - and her own family''s involvement shocks her to the core...Tran, a notorious Vietnamese insurgent, seems to offer the perfect escape from her troubles, while Mark, a charming American trader, is the man she''s always dreamed of. But who canTrade ReviewA captivating tale of dark secrets, sisterly rivalry and love against the odds, enchantingly set in colonial era Vietnam * Publisher's description *A captivating story, an exotic and richly imagined setting, sibling rivalry, romance, l couldn't put it down * Julia Gregson *What a vivid and well-researched story! It's an exquisite depiction of colonial Vietnam on the brink of a new area; I could feel the humidity and the sweet scent of frangipani trees... Dinah's writing is incredibly suspenseful and did not shy away from the harsh realities of warfare. I fevered with Nicole to the very last page; the tension is as taut as the silk that winds through it. -- Lucinda RileyPut everything else on hold. Turn off the phone. Be prepared to be swept away by this wonderful book. I couldn't put it down and loved every delicious page. Dinah Jefferies has a remarkable gift for conjuring up another time and place with lush descriptions, full of power and intensity. I was totally captivated by its passionate and dangerous story of Nicole, as she fights to find her place in the turmoil of 1950s Vietnam, torn between loyalty and love. Deeply layered, full of twists and surprises, but with an edge of darkness, this book is an exciting, exhilarating, extraordinary story that is beautifully written. I loved it. A must read * Kate Furnivall *Beautifully written and heart-rending, this has a magical setting with a real sense of period * Katie Fforde on 'The Tea Planter's Wife' *A terrific emotional and atmospheric read * Elizabeth Buchan on 'The Tea Planter's Wife' *Dinah Jefferies has once again created a gloriously atmospheric and tension-filled novel. Immensely enjoyable, poignant and compelling. * Isabel Wolff on 'The Tea Planter's Wife' *My ideal read; mystery, love heart-break and joy - I couldn't put it down * Santa Montefiore on 'The Tea Planter's Wife' *The ideal book...always wanting to know what happens next, together with the description of the period and characters, all make this a compelling read * Woman's Weekly *Beautifully atmospheric, with twists to keep you enthralled * My Weekly *Lush and romantic, with an authentic feel of place and period, Jefferies should have another hit on her hands here * Sunday Mirror *

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Book Synopsis''I was living in even greater circles of gangsterdom than I had dreamed, latitudes and longitudes of gangsterdom''It''s 1930''s New York and fifteen-year-old streetkid Billy, who can juggle, somersault and run like the wind, has been taken under the wing of notorious gangster Dutch Schultz. As Billy learns the ways of the mob, he becomes like a son to Schultz - his ''good-luck kid'' - and is initiated into a world of glamour, death and danger that will consume him, in this vivid, soaring epic of crime and betrayal.

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Book SynopsisTHE TOP 10 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER''Unforgettable'' Mary Beard''They cut her hair before they dragged her to the place of sacrifice. Her mouth was gagged to stop her cursing her father, her cowardly, two-tongued father. Nonetheless, they heard her muffled screams.''On the day of his daughter''s wedding, Agamemnon orders her sacrifice. His daughter is led to her death, and Agamemnon leads his army into battle, where he is rewarded with glorious victory. Three years later, he returns home and his murderous action has set the entire family - mother, brother, sister - on a path of intimate violence, as they enter a world of hushed commands and soundless journeys through the palace''s dungeons and bedchambers. As his wife seeks his death, his daughter, Electra, is the silent observer to the family''s game of innocence while his son, Orestes, is sent into bewildering, frightening exile where survival is far from certain. Out of their desolating loss, Electra and Orestes must find a way to right these wrongs of the past even if it means committing themselves to a terrible, barbarous act.House of Names is a story of intense longing and shocking betrayal. It is a work of great beauty, and daring, from one of our finest living writers.''A masterpeice'' Daily Telegraph''Devastatingly human ... hauntingly believable'' Guardian ''A celebration of what novels can do'' Observer Trade ReviewPart of Toibin's success comes down to the power of his writing: an almost unfaultable combination of artful restraint and wonderfully observed detail . . . Unforgettable -- Mary Beard * New York Times *A giant amongst storytellers, Toibin has thrown down the gauntlet with his latest novel . . . And it is a masterpiece -- Edith Hall * Daily Telegraph *A gorgeous stylist, Tóibín captures the subtle flutterings of consciousness better than any writer alive . . . Never before has Tóibín demonstrated such range, not just in tone but in action. He creates the arresting, hushed scenes for which he's so well known just as effectively as he whips up murders that compete, pint for spilled pint, with those immortal Greek playwrights * Washington Post *This is a novel about the way the members of a family keep secrets from one another, tell lies and make mistakes.. . * Literary Review *In a novel describing one of the Western world's oldest legends, in which the gods are conspicuous by their absence, Tóibín achieves a paradoxical richness of characterisation and a humanisation of the mythological, marking House Of Names as the superbly realised work of an author at the top of his game. * Daily Express *A spellbinding adaptation of the Clytemnestra myth, House of Names considers the Mycenaen queen in all her guises: grieving mother, seductress, ruthless leader - and victim of the ultimate betrayal. * Vogue *A haunting story, largely because Tóibín tells it in spare, resonant prose... -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * New Statesman *A Greek House of Cards... Just like Heaney at the end of his Mycenae lookout, Toibin's novel augurs an era of renewal that comes directly from the cessation of hostilities. -- Fiona Macintosh * Irish Times *The book's mastery of pacing and tone affirm the writer as one of our finest at work today. -- John Boland * Irish Independent *A daring, and triumphant return, to the Oresteia... bleakly beautiful twilight of the Gods. -- Boyd Tonkin * The Arts Desk *It couldn't have been done better * Scotsman *A visceral reworking of Oresteia * Observer *The escalation of violence and desire for revenge has deliberate echoes of the Irish Troubles * Observer Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisA beautiful Penguin Classics clothbound edition of Tolstoy''s magnificent epic novel of love, conflict, fate and human life in all its imperfection and grandeur At a glittering society party in St Petersburg in 1805, conversations are dominated by the prospect of war. Terror swiftly engulfs the country as Napoleon''s army marches on Russia, and the lives of three young people are changed forever. The stories of quixotic Pierre, cynical Andrey and impetuous Natasha interweave with a huge cast, from aristocrats and peasants to soldiers and Napoleon himself. In War and Peace, Tolstoy entwines grand themes - conflict and love, birth and death, free will and faith - with unforgettable scenes of nineteenth-century Russia, to create a magnificent epic of human life in all its imperfection and grandeur.Translated with an introduction and notes by Anthony Briggs, and with an afterword by Orlando Figes Anthony Briggs''s superb translation combines stirring, accessible prose with fidelity to Tolstoy''s original, while Orlando Figes''s afterword discusses the novel''s vast scope and depiction of Russian identity. This edition also contains appendices, notes, a list of prominent characters and maps.''A masterpiece ... This new translation is excellent'' - Anthony BeevorTrade ReviewA masterpiece ... this new translation is excellent -- Antony BeevorWar and Peace is like no other novel ... Tolstoy writes of both war and peace more marvellously than anyone else has done -- John Bayley * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisA beautiful clothbound edition of Evelyn Waugh''s classic novel of duty and desire set against the backdrop of the faded glory of the English aristocracy in the run-up to the Second World War.The most nostalgic and reflective of Evelyn Waugh''s novels, Brideshead Revisited looks back to the golden age before the Second World War. It tells the story of Charles Ryder''s infatuation with the Marchmains and the rapidly disappearing world of privilege they inhabit. Enchanted first by Sebastian Flyte at Oxford, then by his doomed Catholic family, in particular his remote sister, Julia, Charles comes finally to recognise his spiritual and social distance from them.''Lush and evocative ... Expresses at once the profundity of change and the indomitable endurance of the human spirit''The TimesTrade Review“Waugh’s most deeply felt novel . . . Brideshead Revisited tells an absorbing story in imaginative terms . . . Mr. Waugh is very definitely an artist, with something like a genius for precision and clarity not surpassed by any novelist writing in English in his time.” –New York Times “A many-faceted book . . . Beautifully [written] by one of the most exhilarating stylists of our time.” –Newsweek “First and last an enchanting story . . . Brideshead Revisited has a magic that is rare in current literature. It is a world in itself, and the reader lives in it and is loath to leave it when the last page is turned.” –Saturday Review “Evelyn Waugh’s most successful novel . . . A memorable work of art.” –from the Introduction by Frank Kermode

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Book SynopsisA gorgeous clothbound edition of Woolf''s fantastical and enchanting novel, designed by the acclaimed Coralie-Bickford Smith. Orlando has always been an outsider...His longing for passion, adventure and fulfilment takes him out of his own time. Chasing a dream through the centuries, he bounds from Elizabethan England and imperial Turkey to the modern world. Will he find happiness with the exotic Russian Princess Sasha? Or is the dashing explorer Shelmerdine the ideal man? And what form will Orlando take on the journey - a nobleman, traveller, writer? Man or... woman?A wry commentary on gender and history, Orlando is also, in Woolf''s own words, a light-hearted ''writer''s holiday'' which delights in ambiguity and capriciousness. This clothbound Penguin edition is edited by Brenda Lyons with an introduction and notes by Sandra M. Gilbert. ''I read this book and believed it was a hallucinogenic, interactive biography of my own life and future''Tilda SwintonTrade ReviewA fantasy, impossible but delicious...an exuberance of life and wit * The Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewCondé's story is rich and colorful and glorious. It sprawls over continents and centuries to find its way into the reader's heart -- Maya AngelouA stunning reaffirmation of Africa and its peoples... It's a starburst -- John A. WilliamsThe grand queen, the empress, of Caribbean literature -- Fiammetta Rocco * Guardian *Maryse Condé is an extraordinary storyteller who brings the history of an African kingdom alive as vividly as if it existed today. Suspenseful, shocking, panoramic and hugely engrossing, the novel explores the politics and impact of external and domestic forces on nineteenth century west Africa through wonderfully realised characters and their complicated relationships. This is a great novel: unputdownable and unforgettable -- Bernardine EvaristoIf there were no tools on a desert island, I would take Segu by Maryse Condé. This generational family saga has so many layers that I can read and reread it, in between figuring out how to build a raft -- Chibundu Onuzo * Time Out *Richly textured and detailed, this narrative, alternating between the lives of various characters, illuminates magnificently a little known historical period. Virtually every page glitters with nuggets of cultural fascination -- Howard Kaplan * Los Angeles Times *A wondrous novel about a period of African history few other writers have addressed -- Charles L. Larson * New York Times Book Review *

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Book Synopsis''This is Dinah Jefferies at her best'' Lucinda Riley-------------Ceylon, 1935. Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a successful British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, a charming, thrill-seeking businessman, seem like the couple who have it all. Except what they long for more than anything: a child.While Louisa struggles with miscarriages, Elliot is increasingly absent, spending much of his time at a nearby cinnamon plantation, overlooking the Indian ocean. After his sudden death, Louisa is left alone to solve the mystery he left behind. Revisiting the plantation at Cinnamon Hills, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn towards the owner Leo, a rugged outdoors man with a chequered past. The plantation casts a spell, but all is not as it seems. And when Elliot''s shocking betrayal is revealed, Louisa has only Leo to turn to...A sweeping, breath-taking story of love and betrayal from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author ofTrade ReviewA sweeping tale, beautifully written in a wonderful setting, heart rending yet ultimately up lifting. Gorgeous. -- Katie FfordeThe sights, smells and atmosphere of Ceylon are beautifully depicted. This is Dinah Jefferies at her best. -- Lucinda RileyDinah Jefferies has a remarkable gift for conjuring up another time and place with lush descriptions, full of power and intensity. -- Kate FurnivallPacked with colour, history, atmosphere and plenty of twists and turns, this is a lush, escapist read * Sunday Express on 'Before the Rains' *My ideal read - I couldn't put it down -- Santa Montefiore on 'The Tea Planter's Wife'

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Book Synopsis''I always wanted to be friends with both my sisters. Perhaps that was the source, really, of all the troubles of my life...''It is the summer of 1938 and Phyllis Forrester has returned to England after years abroad. Moving into her sister''s grand country house, she soon finds herself entangled in a new world of idealistic beliefs and seemingly innocent friendships. Fevered talk of another war infiltrates their small, privileged circle, giving way to a thrilling solution: a great and charismatic leader, who will restore England to its former glory. At a party hosted by her new friends, Phyllis lets down her guard for a single moment, with devastating consequences. Years later, Phyllis, alone and embittered, recounts the dramatic events which led to her imprisonment and changed the course of her life forever.''Wonderfully subtle and compelling'' Linda Grant''Uncanny, evocative, atmospheric'' Sunday Times''Connolly is a Trade ReviewProfound and moving and completely original, with a storyline that is completely satisfying. It'll be one of those novels that stays in my mind forever... it's a work of art -- Craig BrownI finished it in two days flat and I've never read anything quite like it. Everything about the book rings true, politically, psychologically, and in period detail, from the sunny beginnings to the grim end -- Hilary SpurlingA wonderfully subtle and interesting account of the Mosley women, with a compelling voice -- Linda GrantWonderful, tragicomic... beautifully researched -- Kate Saunders * The Times *One of the best books published this year * The Lady *Uncanny, evocative.... Connolly skilfully sets scenes in pared yet atmospheric prose * Sunday Times *Connolly gives an object lesson in how to tell a story in a non-judgmental way. The result is a brave, engrossing and unexpectedly moving novel * Mail on Sunday *Polished and reflective... a salutary masterclass on the values that really matter * Country Life *This historical novel is an absorbing, nuanced look at extremism dressed up with social niceties and class privilege, and is sure to resonate today * Stylist *In her latest novel, Cressida Connolly expertly evokes a changing nation, and a woman whose life is altered forever * Vogue *Connolly [is] an unerring storyteller who excels at both period and place * Daily Mail *[A] virtuoso novel * Telegraph Magazine *A wonderfully acute writer -- Allison Pearson * Sunday Telegraph Summer Reads *Connolly has tremendous fun with her posh characters' class-obsessed milieu, but the privations of Holloway Prison, with its rope-thick dust, bone-chilling cold and maggoty food, are equally sharply drawn * Daily Mail Summer Reads *Deeply impressive.... quietly devastating tale of world affairs played out on an intimate scale * Metro *Connolly is a terrifically subtle writer... [she] slyly sweeps her readers into the period drama as tensions tauten between families and social classes * Daily Telegraph, Five Stars *Chilling * Spectator *Extraordinary, gripping... Exquisitely written with lyricism and a stiletto-sharp and humorous pen, Connolly takes on a subject which resonates powerfully with current politics -- Sofka Zinovieff * The Lady *Beautifully written... Connolly's perfect control of tone and detail makes this very compelling. Excellent * Evening Standard *Connolly's research is immaculate... well-imagined * The Times Saturday Review *In pared yet atmospheric prose, Connolly skilfully evokes the scents of an English summer and hedonistic parties * Sunday Times Culture *Connolly has an ear for how people really speak. It's the gift of a proper writer * Daily Telegraph *Cressida Connolly's flawless new novel After the Party, for all its darkness, seems suffused with the "soft, buttery" light of an English summer afternoon. But in June of 1938, infernal shadows lengthen. Ms. Connolly is a master, revealing character while sustaining an effect of lightness and ease. We follow Phyllis through an indolent prewar season beautifully conjured, often in heady, sensual detail. Ms. Connolly is too astute and compassionate a novelist to provide neat conclusions. The novel leaves us with the mysterious sense of having inhabited a time and a life whose emotional gravity holds us still. * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewForty Days will invade your senses and keep the blood pounding. Once read, it will never be forgotten * The New York Times *In every sense a true and thrilling novel... It tells a story which it is almost one's duty as an intelligent human being to read. And one's duty here becomes one's pleasure also * New York Times Book Review *Werfel's book ... did more than the efforts of any diplomat, journalist, or historian to encourage speech about the unspeakable. It arrives today as a timely reminder that savagery thrives in silence * The Barnes and Noble Review *A crackling read. Symphonic in its handling of profound themes, respectful of its most vacillating characters, Werfel's novel is a grand and satisfying story about the necessities and difficulties of leadership * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisBook of the Year 2023 according to New York Times, New Yorker, Guardian, Economist, Observer, The Spectator, Financial Times, Vogue, The Times, The Oldie, i Paper, The Standard, Washington Post, Independent, Daily ExpressSHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE WRITERS' PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024ONE OF SARAH JESSICA PARKER'S BEST BOOKS OF 2023LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION 2024A writer at the peak of her powers' The TelegraphTruth and fiction. Jamaica and Britain. Who gets to tell their story? Zadie Smith returns with her first historical novel.Kilburn, 1873. The ''Tichborne Trial'' has captivated the widowed Scottish housekeeper Mrs Eliza Touchet and all of England. Readers are at odds over whether the defendant is who he claims to be - or an imposter.Mrs Touchet is a woman of many interests: literature, justice, abolitionism, class, her novelist cousin and his wives, this life and the next. But she is also sceptical. She suspects England of being a land of façades, in which nothing is quite what it seems.Andrew Bogle meanwhile finds himself the star witness, his future depending on telling the right story. Growing up enslaved on the Hope Plantation, Jamaica, he knows every lump of sugar comes at a human cost. That the rich deceive the poor. And that people are more easily manipulated than they realise.Based on real historical events, The Fraud is a dazzling novel about how in a world of hypocrisy and self-deception, deciding what''s true can prove a complicated task.It's difficult to give any idea of how extraordinary this book is. One of the great historical novels, certainly. But has any historical novel ever combined such brilliantly researched and detailed history with such intensely imagined fiction? Or such a range of living, breathing, surprising characters with such an idiosyncratically structured narrative?' Michael FraynAs always it is a pleasure to be in Zadie Smith's mind, which, as time goes on, is becoming contiguous with London itself. Dickens may be dead, but Smith, thankfully, is alive' New York TimesZadie Smith's Victorian-set masterpiece holds a mirror up to Britain . . . The Fraud is the genuine article' IndependentSmith's dazzling historical novel combines deft writing and strenuous construction in a tale of literary London and the horrors of slavery' GuardianInstant Sunday Times bestseller, September 2023Trade ReviewNo one understands humans better. As this novel shows, there is no better guide to people and their bottomlessness than Smith herself * iNews *This was really delightful. 10/10. Zadie Smith is a genius -- Brandon Taylor author of The Late AmericansA novel full of people, ideas, humour, feeling and something like moral truth – the stuff of life * Evening Standard *Searingly original [and] virtuosic . . . the book masterfully depicts post-emancipation Britain as it ruptures along faultlines of class and race * Vogue *Brilliant. A Dickensian delight * Los Angeles Times *The Fraud is unlike anything you’ll read this year: a charismatic, cerebral novel that asks us to consider the greatest fraud of all, that of one man claiming to hold the key to another’s freedom * Irish Times *A wonderful meditation on truth and falsehood, and the boundaries between fact and fiction * Spectator *A big, rich saga, tumbling with characters and big issues (feminism, slavery, truth) * The Times, 'Best Novels of 2023' *The Fraud is a complex mosaic of interweaving plots . . . The novel pulls off the trick of being both splendidly modern and authentically old and the characters are varied and entertaining * Independent, ‘Best Books of 2023’ *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewNo one understands humans better. As this novel shows, there is no better guide to people and their bottomlessness than Smith herself * iNews *This was really delightful. 10/10. Zadie Smith is a genius -- Brandon Taylor author of The Late AmericansA novel full of people, ideas, humour, feeling and something like moral truth – the stuff of life * Evening Standard *Searingly original [and] virtuosic . . . the book masterfully depicts post-emancipation Britain as it ruptures along faultlines of class and race * Vogue *Brilliant. A Dickensian delight * Los Angeles Times *The Fraud is unlike anything you’ll read this year: a charismatic, cerebral novel that asks us to consider the greatest fraud of all, that of one man claiming to hold the key to another’s freedom * Irish Times *A wonderful meditation on truth and falsehood, and the boundaries between fact and fiction * Spectator *A big, rich saga, tumbling with characters and big issues (feminism, slavery, truth) * The Times, 'Best Novels of 2023' *The Fraud is a complex mosaic of interweaving plots . . . The novel pulls off the trick of being both splendidly modern and authentically old and the characters are varied and entertaining * Independent, ‘Best Books of 2023’ *

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Book SynopsisThe final novel in the Great Plains trilogy, this is a celebration of the American midwest with Cather''s strongest heroine at its heartJim and Ántonia meets as children in the wide open plains of Nebraska at the end of the nineteenth century. Jim leaves for college and a career in the east, while Ántonia stays at home, dedicating herself to her farm and family. As the years roll by, Jim will come to view Ántonia as the embodiment of the prairie itself - tough, spirited and enduring, despite the hardness and loneliness of pioneer life. Willa Cather''s beautiful novel is a celebration of the Nebraskan prairie she loved she much, and a powerful depiction of a pivotal era in the making of America.Trade ReviewOne of the warmest, most quietly rousing books that I know; a clear-eyed salute to the resilience of the human spirit and the innate hardiness of the immigrants who came across the ocean to start afresh in the golden west -- Guardian * Xan Brooks *No romantic novel ever written in America, by man or woman, is one half so beautiful as My Ántonia -- H. L. MenckenCather was the first great American novelist to make the West - the real West, not the stuff of pulp fiction - her theme. She makes you see, smell, and feel the prairie * Slate *

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Book Synopsis''A warm and satisfying story'' My WeeklyFrom the author of The Liverpool Nightingales comes an uplifting and emotional tale, perfect for fans of Call the Midwife, Downton Abbey and Annie Groves. Is a mother''s love enough to protect her child? ___________Liverpool 1868.Shrouded in secrecy Alice Sampson gives birth to a beautiful baby girl.But the former nurse''s happiness is blighted by the knowledge that as a penniless, unwed mother, her future, and that of her child, can only be one of shame and disgrace.Then a knock at the door brings a miracle: she is invited to return to the Liverpool Royal Infirmary and her beloved ward.With the help of her friends and the welcome attentions of Reverend Seed, the hospital Chaplain, Alice slowly starts to rebuild her life.Everything is looking up, until her baby''s father unexpectedly shows up to claim the child he knTrade ReviewA warm and satisfying story * My Weekly *Praise for Kate Eastham * - *A heartwarming and tear-inducing tale with wonderfully realistic characters * Woman *Deftly written and moving * Woman's Own *

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Book SynopsisA stirring and inspiring story perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries and Call The Midwife Heartbroken but determined, Maud Linklater returns to her hometown of Liverpool intent on healing the sick and building a new life for herself and her son, Alfie Liverpool 1872After spending time training at the Infirmary for Women in New York, Maud can''t wait to put her new-found skills to the test. But in a city built and run by men she must work hard to be accepted.Whilst her nurse friends welcome her back with open arms there are others who do not wish her well, including the spiteful Nancy Sellers.Nancy resented Maud''s talents as a nurse and seeing her arrive back with such fanfare puts her nose firmly out of joint. She will stop at nothing to sabotage Maud''s life and soon turns her attention to those Maud holds most dear.Maud Linklater is made of strong stuff. But as she resettles back into life in her hometown, can she overcome any obstacle Nancy, and Liverpool, might throw her way?Praise for Kate Eastham ''Deftly written and moving'' Woman''s Own''A heart-warming and tear-inducing tale with wonderfully realistic characters'' WomanDiscover other books in The Nursing Series: Miss Nightingale''s Nurses, The Liverpool Nightingale''s and Daughters of Liverpool.Trade ReviewPraise for Kate Eastham * - *Deftly written and moving * Woman's Own *A heartwarming and tear-inducing tale with wonderfully realistic characters * Woman *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review'I read this book and believed it was a hallucinogenic, interactive biography of my own life and future' -- Tilda SwintonA book that refuses all constraints: historical, fantastical, metaphysical, sociological -- Jeanette Winterson * New Statesman *A fantasy, impossible but delicious ... an exuberance of life and wit * The Times Literary Supplement *

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Book Synopsis''A fantasy, impossible but delicious ... an exuberance of life and wit'' The Times Literary SupplementFirst masculine, then feminine, Orlando begins life as a young sixteenth-century nobleman, then gallops through the centuries to end up as a woman writer in Virginia Woolf''s own time. Written for the charismatic, bisexual writer Vita Sackville-West, this playful mock biography of a chameleon-like historical figure is both a wry commentary on gender and, in Woolf''s own words, a ''writer''s holiday'' which delights in its ambiguity and capriciousness.Edited by Brenda Lyons with an Introduction and Notes by Sandra M. GilbertTrade ReviewA fantasy, impossible but delicious...an exuberance of life and wit * The Time Literary Supplement *

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Book Synopsis''A novel of love, war and death; brilliantly entertaining and far ahead of its time'' Guardian ''She is my husband''s mistress - and here am I, taking her out to dinner''Sophia Willoughby of Blandamer House, upstanding Victorian matriarch, has packed her errant husband off to Paris with his mistress Minna. But when tragedy throws her life off balance Sophia goes to seek him out, and instead finds herself intensely attracted to the charismatic, bohemian Minna, who leads her on a wild, chaotic adventure through a city in the throes of revolution.''One of the great under-read British novelists of the twentieth century. This is my favourite of her novels'' Sarah Waters''Every page contains something brilliant, arresting or amusing, and one comes away from it staggered'' Claire HarmanTrade ReviewSylvia Townsend Warner has to be one of the great under-read British novelists of the twentieth century. This, my favourite of her novels, has a disaffected Victorian wife falling for her husband's charismatic mistress, and discovering revolutionary politics along the way -- Sarah WatersIt's a wildly leftist novel of love, war and death; Townsend Warner chucks the lot into her simmering story, but it remains skilfully crafted. Brilliantly entertaining and far ahead of its time * Guardian *With insight, malice, exquisiteness; in its wit, its instinct for style, its drawing-room urbanities, it will suggest at one time or another the work of a Rebecca West, a Virginia Woolf, an Elinor Wylie * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisBrideshead Revisited is Evelyn Waugh''s stunning novel of duty and desire set amongst the decadent, faded glory of the English aristocracy in the run-up to the Second World War.The most nostalgic and reflective of Evelyn Waugh''s novels, Brideshead Revisited looks back to the golden age before the Second World War. It tells the story of Charles Ryder''s infatuation with the Marchmains and the rapidly disappearing world of privilege they inhabit. Enchanted first by Sebastian Flyte at Oxford, then by his doomed Catholic family, in particular his remote sister, Julia, Charles comes finally to recognise his spiritual and social distance from them.Evelyn Waugh (1903-66) was born in Hampstead, second son of Arthur Waugh, publisher and literary critic, and brother of Alec Waugh, the popular novelist. In 1928 he published his first work, a life of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and his first novel, Decline and Fall, which was soon followed by Vile Bodies (1930), A Handful of Dust (1934) and Scoop (1938). In 1939 he was commissioned in the Royal Marines and later transferred to the Royal Horse Guards, serving in the Middle East and in Yugoslavia. In 1942 he published Put Out More Flags and then in 1945 Brideshead Revisited. Men at Arms (1952) was the first volume of ''The Sword of Honour'' trilogy, and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize; the other volumes, Officers and Gentlemen and Unconditional Surrender, followed in 1955 and 1961.If you enjoyed Brideshead Revisited, you might like Waugh''s Vile Bodies, also available in Penguin Classics.''Lush and evocative ... Expresses at once the profundity of change and the indomitable endurance of the human spirit''The Times

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Book SynopsisWith a new introduction by Polly Samson, Sunday Times bestselling author of A THEATRE FOR DREAMERS ''Gorgeous... the written equivalent of lying in the sun eating figs'' India Knight, Sunday Times''That summer we bought big straw hats. Maria''s had cherries around the rim, Infanta''s had forget-me-nots, and mine had poppies as red as fire. . .''Three Summers is a warm and tender tale of three sisters growing up in the countryside near Athens before the Second World War. Living in a ramshackle old house with their divorced mother are flirtatious, hot-headed Maria, beautiful but distant Infanta, and dreamy and rebellious Katerina, through whose eyes the story is mostly observed. Over three summers, the girls share and keep secrets, fall in and out of love, try to understand the strange ways of adults and decide what kind of adults they hope to become.''The sun has disappeared from books these days... You are one of Trade ReviewThe written equivalent of lying in the sun eating figs. I liked it much more than Elena Ferrante's books, but that's the general ballpark, except jollier. As Polly Samson writes in the preface, it brings to mind I Capture the Castle. Gorgeous -- India Knight * Sunday Times *A dreamy modernist gem of a novel... elegant and striking * Publishers Weekly *A dreamy, cinematic tapestry of Greek village life * NPR *A leisurely, large-hearted coming-of-age novel, earthy and innocent, nostalgic and beautifully rendered * Kirkus *We must be grateful to the Penguin European Writers series, a precious venture in these dark times -- John BanvilleThe sun has disappeared from books these days... You are one of those who pass it on -- Albert Camus to Margarita LiberakiDrifting blossom, girlish secrets and lantern-lit dances pervade the 1946 Greek classic Three Summers, by Margarita Liberaki, featuring three sisters on the brink of adulthood on a pre-civil-war country estate at Kifi ssia, outside Athens. Just reissued, this innocent gem is often compared to Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle * Country & Townhouse *With its sensuous prose, nostalgic charm, playful humour and evocation of burgeoning sexuality, this novel is the literary equivalent of a sun-soaked holiday in Greece * CultureWhisper *

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Book Synopsis''She has a talent amounting to genius'' John UpdikeDon Juan, that notorious libertine, has disappeared. Has he been dragged down to hell by demons, as rumoured - or has he escaped? Doña Ana, the woman he tried to seduce, will stop at nothing to discover the truth. Set in a rural eighteenth-century Spain rife with suspicion and cruelty, and featuring a glorious cast of peasants, aristocrats and vengeful ghosts, this moving, surprising tragicomedy is also Sylvia Townsend Warner''s response to the dark days of the Spanish Civil War.''The kind of novelist who inspires an intense sense of ownership in her fans'' Sarah WatersTrade ReviewShe has a talent amounting to genius -- John UpdikeOne of our most idiosyncratic, courageous and versatile writers -- Hermione Lee

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Book Synopsis''A comic masterpiece'' Patrick Gale, GuardianPillar of society and stern upholder of Victorian values, god-fearing Norfolk merchant John Barnard presides over a large and largely unhappy family. This is their story - his brandy-swilling wife, their hapless offspring and their changing fortunes - over the decades. Sylvia Townsend Warner''s last novel, The Flint Anchor gloriously overturns our ideas of history, family and storytelling itself.''A novel created with solidity and subtlety of feeling, a fusion of warmth, wit and quietly biting shrewdness that are reminiscent of Jane Austen'' Atlantic Review''As a sustained work of historical imagination, it has few rivals ... one of the most acute and intelligent writers of her age'' Claire HarmanTrade ReviewA novel created with solidity and subtlety of feeling, a fusion of warmth, wit and quietly biting shrewdness that are reminiscent of Jane Austen * Atlantic Review *One of our most idiosyncratic, courageous and versatile writers -- Hermione Lee

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Book Synopsis ''The kind of novelist who inspires an intense sense of ownership in her fans ... her sympathies tended naturally to the marginal, the vulnerable, the exploited, the obscure'' Sarah WatersSukey Bond, a sixteen-year-old orphan, is sent to work as a servant at a farm on the remote Essex Marshes. There she falls in love with gentle, unworldly Eric, the son of the rector''s wife, only for them to be separated when their relationship is discovered. But nothing will deter Sukey in her quest to be reunited with her true love, even if it means seeking the help of Queen Victoria herself.''One of our most idiosyncratic, courageous and versatile writers'' Hermione Lee ''One can''t be too thankful that Miss Townsend Warner has lived to discover the alchemist''s secret of transmuting the past into pure gold'' Hilary SpurlingTrade ReviewThe kind of novelist who inspires an intense sense of ownership in her fans ... though entirely without sentimentality, her sympathies tended naturally to the marginal, the vulnerable, the exploited, the obscure -- Sarah WatersOne of our most idiosyncratic, courageous and versatile writers -- Hermione Lee

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Book SynopsisA visceral reimagining of 1780s London, showcasing the untold stories of African-American soldiers grappling with their post-war freedom ''Remarkable'' David DabydeenIn the years just after the American revolution, London was the unlikely refuge for thousands of black Americans who fought for liberty on the side of the British.Buckram, Georgie and William have earned their freedom and escaped their American oppressors, but on the streets of London, poverty awaits with equal cruelty.Ruthless, chaotic and endlessly evolving, London forces them into a life of crime, and a life on the margins. Their only hope for a better future is to concoct a scheme so daring, it will be a miracle if it pays off.Bursting with energy and vivid detail, Incomparable World boldly uncovers a long-buried narrative of black Britain.''Adventurous and exuberant . . . a rollicking thriller [that] pulsates with vivacity'' Bernardine ETrade ReviewRemarkable -- David DabydeenAdventurous and exuberant . . . a rollicking thriller [that] pulsates with vivacity -- Bernardine EvaristoA brilliant singular work -- Irenosen Iseghohi-Okojie

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Book SynopsisA beautifully designed graphic novel bringing to life Kitty, Anne Frank's imaginary confidant, as she searches for her missing friend in the modern world. ___________________I had no clue when I came back to life, or how it happened. I just know there was a terrible storm outside the house . . . It''s the middle of the night at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, when a thunderbolt shatters the glass case holding history's most famous diary.Magically, Anne''s imaginary friend, Kitty, comes to life. But when Kitty learns that Anne and her beloved sister Margot died in the war 75 years earlier, she decides to run away, taking the diary with her.Following the path of the sisters all the way to where they met their fatal end, Kitty encounters the European refugee crisis and Anne's legacy. Join Kitty on her journey of discovery in Where Is Anne Frank . . .___________________Praise for Anne Frank''s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation''A stunning, haunting work of art . . . The comedy of the diary - one of the book''s most charming and often overlooked aspects - shines in this form'' New York Times Book Review''Faithful to the spirit and often the language of the diary . . . the beautiful artwork offers a charming and convincing view of Anne on the page'' Economist''A modern classic'' The TimesTrade ReviewFervent, heartfelt and visually wonderful -- Peter Bradshaw * Guardian *Superb . . . Weaves together excerpts from the diary with the quest of Kitty - the imaginary friend to whom Anne addressed much of it - to locate the young writer in present-day Amsterdam -- Wendy Ide * Observer *...fanciful tale that extends Anne’s legacy to the contemporary refugee crisis in Europe and is carried off with graceful drawings by Israeli artist Guberman * Publishers Weekly *

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Book Synopsis''Probably the best thing ever written about the wartime air campaign against Germany'' Max Hastings''Magnificent ... rich with historical detail'' The Times31 June, 1943. An RAF crew prepare for their next bombing raid on Germany. It is a night that many will never forget. Len Deighton''s devastating novel is a gripping minute-by-minute account of what happens over the next twenty-four hours. Told through the eyes of ordinary people in the air and on the ground - from a young pilot to the inhabitants of a small town in the Ruhr - Bomber is an unforgettable portrayal of individuals caught up in the wreckage of war.''A superbly mobilised tragedy of the machines which men make to destroy themselves. Masterly'' SpectatorTrade ReviewProbably the best and certainly the most accurate popular novel about the Second World War in the air. -- John Sutherland * London Review of Books *A massively different novel... the effect is - quite literally - devastating. * Sunday Times *A massive and superbly mobilised tragedy of the machines which men make to destroy themselves. Masterly and by far Mr Deighton's best. -- Douglas Hurd * The Spectator *Bomber is probably the best thing ever written about the wartime air campaign against Germany. -- Max Hastings * The Times *A magnificent story ... the characters lean out of the pages. * Daily Mirror *What raises Deighton's genre to art is not only his absorbing characters but his metaphoric grace, droll wit, command of technical detail ... and sure sense of place. -- Andy Solomon * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisA BERNARD SAMSON NOVEL''The master of espionage writing at his brilliant best'' Mail on SundayWith the Cold War drawing to a close in the East, Bernard Samson is still haunted by the events that have turned his life upside down over the last ten years. But when he takes a train from Moscow to Berlin, he stumbles across a clue that may lead him to the truth at last - even though, in finding the answers, he could lose everything. Bringing the ''Faith, Hope and Charity'' trilogy, and Bernard Samson''s story, to a stunning conclusion, this final volume brilliantly shows the human cost of the spying game.''The series represents a magnificent achievement in the field of espionage writing and Samson remains one of the great spies'' Irish TimesTrade ReviewHere is the master of espionage writing at his brilliant best. * Mail on Sunday *Deighton's prose is tough, clean and compelling ... storytelling of this high quality will never go out of fashion. * Sunday Express *Like the vintage Bentley, Deighton's prose runs extremely smoothly. * Times Literary Supplement *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisA BERNARD SAMSON NOVEL''The plotting is masterly, the atmospheric descriptions superb ... absolute bliss'' Sunday TelegraphSummer 1987, the final years of the Cold War. Bernard Samson has been sent to East Germany to make contact with a KGB defector, codename VERDI, who claims to have access to top intelligence secrets. But something goes wrong, and Bernard must struggle to stay in the game. Fighting to keep his job and rebuild his shattered marriage, kept in the dark by London Central, he has no one he can trust, and nothing to depend on but his own faith. This is the first part of the ''Faith, Hope and Charity'' trilogy.''A string of brilliantly mounted set-pieces ... superbly laconic wisecracks'' The TimesTrade ReviewLike lying back in a hot bath with a large malt whisky - absolute bliss ... The plotting in Faith is masterly, the atmospheric descriptions superb. * Sunday Telegraph *A string of brilliantly mounted set-pieces ... superbly laconic wisecracks. * The Times *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *The self-conscious cool of Deighton's writing has dated in the best way possible; bear in mind that the man was almost single-handedly responsible for brinfging coffee culture to the British Isles. Stone-cold Cold War classic. -- Toby Litt * The Guardian *

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Book Synopsis''The classic and gripping spy novel of Cold War Berlin'' Guardian1963 Berlin is dark and dangerous. The anonymous hero of The IPCRESS File has been sent to help arrange the defection - in an elaborate mock coffin - of a leading Soviet scientist. But, as he soon discovers, this deception hides an even deadlier truth. One of the first novels written after the construction of the Berlin Wall, Funeral in Berlin revels in the murky, chilling atmosphere of a divided city. ''A ferociously cool fable'' The New York TimesTrade ReviewA ferociously cool fable. * New York Times *A most impressive book in which the tension, more like a chronic ache than a sharp stab of pain, never lets go. * Evening Standard *Deighton's fiction has stood the test of time. His habitually acerbic narrative voice still has much to say to contemporary readers ... Now a fresh generation have the chance to sample Deighton's wares as Penguin republishes many of his books. -- Vanessa Thorpe * The Observer *Like lying back in a hot bath with a large malt whisky - absolute bliss. * Sunday Telegraph *Len Deighton's spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over. -- Malcolm GladwellLen Deighton is the Flaubert of the contemporary thriller writers. -- Michael Howard * Times Literary Supplement *The self-conscious cool of Deighton's writing has dated in the best way possible ... Stone-cold Cold War classic. -- Toby Litt * The Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA BERNARD SAMSON NOVEL''A master of fictional espionage'' Daily MailWhen Bernard Samson is woken in the middle of the night and discovers an injured man on his doorstep, he knows it will only bring trouble. It is the start of a dangerous journey to Zurich, rural Poland and the heart of a mystery that has tormented both him and his wife Fiona since they left East Berlin. Thrown into conflict with his superiors, and forced to question his job and his marriage, Bernard will learn, in the second part of the ''Faith, Hope and Charity'' trilogy, whether treachery can ever be forgiven.''He can still set the nerve ends jangling with a thriller set in the Cold War ... his sense of pace is extraordinary, as is his sense of mood'' Sunday TelegraphTrade ReviewAs fresh and brisk as ever ... a feast to be wallowed in. * Sunday Express *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *For sheer readability he has no peer. * Evening Standard *Like lying back in a hot bath with a large malt whisky - absolute bliss. * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis''The poet of the spy story'' Sunday TimesA sunken U-Boat has lain undisturbed on the Atlantic ocean floor since the Second World War - until now. Inside its rusting hull, among the corpses of top-rank Nazis, lie secrets people will kill to obtain. The sequel to Len Deighton''s game-changing debut The IPCRESS File, Horse Under Water sees its nameless, laconic narrator sent from fogbound London to the Algarve, where he must dive through layers of deceit in a place rotten with betrayals.Trade ReviewLively, exciting, ingenious. * Observer *Len Deighton's spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over. -- Malcolm GladwellWhat raises Deighton's genre to art is not only his absorbing characters but his metaphoric grace, droll wit, command of technical detail, and sure sense of place. -- Andy Solomon * Washington Post *Deighton's fiction has stood the test of time. His habitually acerbic narrative voice still has much to say to contemporary readers ... Now a fresh generation have the chance to sample Deighton's wares as Penguin republishes many of his books. -- Vanessa Thorpe * The Observer *Mr Deighton is really something special. * Sunday Times *For sheer readability he has no peer. * Evening Standard *Fleming made spy fiction globally popular, but it took Deighton in the Sixties to make it hip. * The Telegraph *With this, his second bestseller in as many years, Len Deighton really hit his stride. Multiple deceits defy a full plot summary. Suffice to say that with a succession of startling revelations linked by sharp dialogue, the book effortlessly acquires classic status. -- Barry Turner * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis''A stone-cold Cold War classic'' Toby Litt, GuardianA high-ranking scientist has been kidnapped. A secret British intelligence agency must find out why. But as the quarry is pursued from grimy Soho to the other side of the world, what seemed a straightforward mission turns into something far more sinister. With its sardonic, cool, working-class hero, Len Deighton''s sensational debut The IPCRESS File rewrote the spy thriller and became the defining novel of 1960''s London.''Changed the shape of the espionage thriller ... there is an infectious energy about this book which makes it a joy to read'' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewThey don't, as they say, write them like this anymore. You will be entertained, informed, thrilled and dazzled. Long may he, and his creations, live on. -- Jeremy Duns * The Guardian *Len Deighton's spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over. -- Malcolm GladwellDeighton's fiction has stood the test of time. His habitually acerbic narrative voice still has much to say to contemporary readers ... Now a fresh generation have the chance to sample Deighton's wares as Penguin republishes many of his books. -- Vanessa Thorpe * The Observer *The Ipcress File helped change the shape of the espionage thriller ... the prose is still as crisp and fresh as ever ... there is an infectious energy about this book which makes it a joy to read, or re-read. * Daily Telegraph *The self-conscious cool of Deighton's writing has dated in the best way possible ... stone-cold Cold War classic. -- Toby Litt * The Guardian *To read it today is like taking a ride in a time machine, so accurate and astute are its evocations of its era ... Deighton knows how to pinch the ephemera that stick in our souls ... Never not a joy to read. It is also a book that changed the way we see the world. -- Peter Millar * The Times *The IPCRESS File has lost none of its nerve-tingling fascination ... [and] the pleasure of engaging with a master of his craft. -- Barry Turner * Daily Mail *A wonderful mixture of the exciting and the amusingly humdrum ... James Bond may be thinner, but so is his dialogue. -- Jake Kerridge * Daily Telegraph *Deighton is a fearless observer of the deceptive human world. -- John Gray * New Statesman *A dazzling performance. The verve and energy, the rattle of wit in the dialogue, the side-of-the-mouth comments, the evident pleasure taken in cocking a snook at the British spy story's upper-middle-class tradition - all these made it clear that a writer of remarkable talent in this field had appeared. -- Julian Symons * New York Times Book Review *

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Book Synopsis''Deighton is a marvel ... a tale told by an author at the height of his power'' Chicago TribuneWorld-weary agent Bernard Samson is losing control of his personal and professional life. Sent to Mexico to aid the defection of a KGB agent to the West, he has a chance to prove his worth. Instead he is torn between conflicting loyalties, and lost in a maze of double-dealing and duplicity. The second novel in the Game, Set and Match trilogy is a gripping portrayal of a man who can trust no one, not even those closest to him. A BERNARD SAMSON NOVELTrade ReviewDeighton is back in his original milieu, the bleak spy world of betrayers and betrayed. * Observer *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *Deighton is a marvel ... few authors writing in the rigorous and finite genre of spy fiction have mastered the craft as well as Deighton ... Mexico Set is a pure tale, told by an author at the height of his power. * Chicago Tribune *For sheer readability he has no peer. * Evening Standard *Like lying back in a hot bath with a large malt whisky - absolute bliss. * Sunday Telegraph *Len Deighton's spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over. -- Len Deighton

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Book Synopsis''A master of fictional espionage'' Daily Mail''In Deighton''s best books - like this one - the narrative glides forward on rollers, and the scenes and characters fit perfectly into place. The result is marvellous'' IndependentMillions of pounds have gone missing, and the Department have sent agent Bernard Samson to Washington to track them down. But this mission is just the start of something far deeper and darker. It will take him from the English suburbs to Berlin, the South of France to Los Angeles and the heart of a maelstrom. In the first part of the Hook, Line and Sinker trilogy, friends become enemies, pursuer becomes victim and no one - not even Bernard himself - is above suspicion.A BERNARD SAMSON NOVELTrade ReviewIn Deighton's best books - like this one - the narrative glides forward on rollers, and the scenes and characters fit perfectly into place. The result is marvellous entertainment. * Independent *Vintage, treble-crossing, East-West intrigue ... written with Deighton's usual punch and economy. * Daily Mail *Len Deighton is the Flaubert of the contemporary thriller writers. -- Michael Howard * Times Literary Supplement *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *

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Book Synopsis''This is vintage Deighton'' Sunday Times''Spy Line is vigorous and sleazy, psychologically complex and action-packed. And it is always exciting'' Daily MailBernard Samson is a spy on the run. But in the murky streets of Berlin, he knows where to hide. Wanted for an act of treachery he has not committed, he must not only escape the grasp of London Central, but get to the bottom of a tangled conspiracy that is about to change everything. In the thrilling penultimate instalment of the Hook, Line and Sinker trilogy, Bernard''s personal and professional life collide with devastating consequences.A BERNARD SAMSON NOVELTrade ReviewSpy Line is vigorous and sleazy, psychologically complex and action-packed. It is always exciting. * Daily Mail *This is vintage Deighton. * Sunday Times *No one can evoke the city of Berlin better than Deighton. * Sunday Telegraph *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *

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Book Synopsis''Dazzling ingenuity and cleverness'' Independent''Chilling ... the writing is crisp and brutal'' Daily TelegraphOf all the mysteries Bernard Samson has encountered, the greatest is his wife Fiona. Dedicated agent of the Service and a woman of secrets, she will risk everything to play the long game. As the truth about the decision that shattered their marriage is gradually revealed, the web of deception that has snared Bernard for ten years begins to unravel. In the gripping, tragic finale of the Hook, Line and Sinker trilogy, everything we thought we knew is brought into question.A BERNARD SAMSON NOVELTrade ReviewAll done with the chilling competence we expect from Mr Deighton ... No padding, no slowing of pace, and the writing is crisp and brutal. * Daily Telegraph *Dazzling ingenuity and cleverness. * The Independent *The poet of the spy story. * Sunday Times *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *

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Book Synopsis''Len Deighton''s spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over'' Malcolm GladwellAfter six weeks in a nuclear submarine gathering computer data on Soviet activity, the mysterious, bespectacled spy known as Patrick Armstrong is desperate to return home. But when he arrives at his London flat, it appears to be occupied by someone who looks just like him - and he finds himself propelled into the heart of a conspiracy stretching from the remote Scottish highlands to the Arctic ice. Revisiting some of the characters from The IPCRESS File, Spy Story shows military games played out for real, and the Cold War turning dangerously hot. ''Menacing, beguiling ... a vintage Len Deighton thriller'' The Times Literary SupplementA PATRICK ARMSTRONG NOVELTrade ReviewThe spy story at its best. * The Times *His best so far. * Observer *Cool, intricate plotting ... excitement and applied violence ... exactly how entertainment should be written. * Daily Mirror *A cracking story. * Evening Standard *Len Deighton's spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over. -- Malcolm GladwellAuthentic thrills of chase and capture ... impressive. * Sunday Telegraph *

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