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Book SynopsisIn 2016, a young Afghan driver and translator named Omar makes the heart-wrenching choice to flee his war-torn country, saying goodbye to Laila, the love of his life, without knowing when they might be reunited again. He is one of millions of refugees who leave their homes that year. Matthieu Aikins, a journalist living in Kabul, decides to follow his friend. In order to do so, he must leave his own passport and identity behind to go underground on the refugee trail with Omar. Their odyssey across land and sea from Afghanistan to Europe brings them face to face with the people at heart of the migration crisis: smugglers, cops, activists, and the men, women and children fleeing war in search of a better life. As setbacks and dangers mount for the two friends, Matthieu is also drawn into the escape plans of Omar’s entire family, including Maryam, the matriarch who has fought ferociously for her children’s survival. Harrowing yet hopeful, this exceptional work brings into sharp focus one of the most contentious issues of our times. The Naked Don’t Fear the Water is a tale of love and friendship across borders, and an inquiry into our shared journey in a divided world.Trade Review‘The Naked Don’t Fear the Water is a riveting and heartrending look at the hidden world of refugees that challenged everything I thought I knew about the consequences of war and globalization. It’s the most important work on the global refugee crisis to date, and a crucial document of these tumultuous times. It will go down as one of the great works of nonfiction literature of our generation.’ — Anand Gopal, author of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist No Good Men Among the Living'The Naked Don't Fear the Water is the most affecting book I have read about the iniquity of the refugee crisis since Exit West. The reporting is totally immersive, without ever losing its clarity, and gives a heartbreaking insight into the lives of normal people taking terrible risks to save themselves. I am amazed by Matthieu Aikins's quiet bravery and willingness to surrender to the story and the danger around him. It’s also, among many other things, a book about friendship and the global ties that bind us.' — Sam Knight, author of The Premonitions Bureau‘This is a gripping, devastating book, and it must have taken great courage and determination to write. The human story of the “smuggler’s road” from Afghanistan to Europe is one of terrible suffering, and Aikins tells it with clarity and simplicity. I could write that The Naked Don’t Fear The Water should be given prizes, and no doubt it will, but it seems to me that the best way to honor this book would be for us all to read it and ask ourselves what we can do for the thousands of unknown and unrecognized people who are treading this terrifying path.’ — Hari Kunzru, author of Red Pill‘Matthieu Aikins is that rarest of combinations – an intrepid journalist who writes beautifully. The Naked Don’t Fear the Water is a compellingly original piece of work, an unforgettable narrative about one of the great human epics of our day.’ — Jon Lee Anderson‘A uniquely brave and enterprising venture into the heart of emigration, and a tragic witness to our times.’ — Colin Thubron, author of Shadow of the Silk Road‘This is a book of radical empathy, crossing many borders – not just borders that separate nations, but also borders of form, borders of meaning, and borders of possibility. It is powerful and humane and deserves to find a wide, wandering readership.’ — Mohsin Hamid, author of Exit, West‘Journalist Aikins debuts with a powerful account of the “long and dangerous journey” many Afghans take out of their war-torn country…The result is a heart-wrenching portrait of resilience and ingenuity under the most trying of circumstances.’ — Publishers Weekly‘The book shines a humane spotlight on many of the people the author met along the way as well as on the role chance played in their fates, with particularly moving chapters on life within the Greek refugee camp. The narrative is scrupulous and often suspenseful. Sharp insider insights into a global dilemma.’ — Kirkus

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Book SynopsisManderley Press is delighted to announce the publication of a brand-new edition of Helene Hanff's Letter from New York - another literary jewel from the author of 84, Charing Cross Road. To showcase this wonderful book, we commissioned the New York Times bestselling author Jean Hanff Korelitz (The Plot) to pen a new introduction - she is a cousin of Helene Hanff's, and was inspired to become a writer after meeting her as a teenager. The front cover was specially designed by New Yorker illustrator Bruce Eric Kaplan, also a fan of the author and a resident of New York City too. Over several years, Helene Hanff read aloud these stories of her life in New York for BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. This book is a collection of selected scripts from this series, composed with a British audience in mind, in which the author offers us a glimpse into her own everyday tales of the city. Written in her trademark whimsical and upbeat style, Helene Hanff transports us right to the heart of Manhattan in the 1980s, describing her favourite places, people and pets with gentle humour, and introducing the reader to the ups and downs of life in a high-rise apartment building in New York City ("the last small town in America"). We are introduced to Bentley, the Old English Sheepdog belonging to a neighbour who captured the author's heart; we take a stroll through the beautiful Shakespeare's Garden in Central Park; and we join the author to enjoy annual city parades down Fifth Avenue - especially the St Patrick's Day parade, when the whole of New York turned green. And we meet Helene's friends: Arlene, whose glamorous social life - and wardrobe - puts Hanff's tiny apartment and simple writer's life into perspective, and Nina, whose garden on the sixteenth-floor overflows with flowers and fruit trees. Finally, we accompany the author as she travels to London to celebrate the opening night of the dramatisation of her best-selling book 84, Charing Cross Road. What started out as a six-month trial in 1978 eventually turned into a six-year project, during which time Helene Hanff captivated radio audiences with her monthly broadcasts - each one a love letter to her beloved NYC. Long before the cast of Friends - and Sarah Jessica Parker's iconic evocation of life in the city - recreated a New York existence for us to experience vicariously, these 5-minute vignettes were the perfect way for native New Yorkers and international readers alike, to revel in the quotidian as well as the glamour of city life, and to discover the unexpected hidden gems - and treasured traditions - of New York City. Letter from New York is still a delight to read, 40 years after it was first written - a timeless and beguiling tale of everyday life in this great city, by one of the best-loved authors of the 20th-century.Trade Review'A witty account of the adventures of Hanff and friends ... Hanff's love of her adopted city is reflected in upbeat anecdotes describing New Yorkers at their best - as good neighbours and charming eccentrics." Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER THE INSPIRATION FOR THE FEATURE FILM THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY 'Screamingly addictive' STEPHEN FRY 'Superb ... Thrilling story-telling' NAOMI KLEIN 'A powerful contribution to an urgent debate' GUARDIAN What if everything we’ve been told about addiction is wrong? One of Johann Hari’s earliest memories is of trying to wake up one of his relatives and not being able to. As he grew older, he realised there was addiction in his family. Confused, he set out on a three-year, thirty-thousand mile journey to discover what really causes addiction – and how to solve it. Told through a series of gripping human stories, this book was the basis of a TED talk and animation that have been viewed more than twenty million times. It has transformed the global debate about addiction.Trade ReviewScreamingly addictive. The story it tells, jaw-droppingly horrific, hilarious and incredible, is one everyone should know -- Stephen FryIntoxicatingly thrilling -- Russell BrandSuperb journalism and thrilling story-telling -- Naomi KleinA wonderful book ... I hope everyone will read it -- Sam HarrisAn absolutely stunning book. It will blow your mind, and blow you away -- Elton JohnWonderful. I couldn't put it down * Noam Chomsky *One of the world's most important and most enlightening thinkers and social critics -- Glenn Greenwald, winner of the Pulitzer PrizeBreathtaking … A powerful contribution to an urgent debate * Guardian *Incredibly powerful -- Caroline LucasA testament to Hari's skill as a writer * New York Times *Incredibly entertaining. It’s enormously emotionally affecting … It really is an extraordinary book -- Vanessa Feltz * BBC London *Gripping * Financial Times *Amazing and bracing and smart. It’s really revolutionary -- Dan Savage

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Book Synopsis'An indispensable voice of and for this moment' Timothy Snyder, author of On Tyranny Many of us are consumed by news cycles reporting on Trump's latest astonishing policy or declaration, and the overwhelming sense we have is one of confusion and incredulity - how could this be happening? As the 2020 US Presidential race takes shape, SURVIVING AUTOCRACY provides an indispensable overview of the calamitous trajectory of the past few years. Drawing on her Soviet childhood and two decades covering the resurgence of totalitarianism in Russia, acclaimed New Yorker journalist and prize-winning author Masha Gessen links together seemingly disparate elements of Trump's regime to offer a roadmap for understanding Trump's approach, policies and ultimate aims. Highlighting an inventory of ravages to liberal democracy, including the corrosion of the media, the justice system and cultural norms, she posits that America is in the throws of an autocratic attempt. Gessen's penetrating analysis offers a new political discourse to replace that which has been so thoroughly degraded, and with it, a clearer path to action. Manifesto-like, Surviving Autocracy is threaded with solutions to the current situation, such as developing a political language that encompasses autocratic impulses, a more agile and honest media, and a visionary moral politics to counter Trump's extraordinary on-going assault.

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Book Synopsis‘Determination, grit and humour shine through’ Lindsey Hilsum, ObserverNineteen Arab women journalists speak out about what it’s like to report on their changing homelands in this first-of-its-kind essay collection.A growing number of intrepid Arab and Middle Eastern sahafiyat – female journalists – are working tirelessly to shape nuanced narratives about their changing homelands, often risking their lives on the front lines of war.Here, nineteen of these women tell us, in their own words, about what it’s like to report on conflicts that (quite literally) hit close to home. Their daring and heartfelt stories, told here for the first time, shatter stereotypes about the region’s women and provide an urgently needed perspective on a part of the world that is frequently misunderstood.With a foreword by CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour.INCLUDING ESSAYS BY: Donna Abu-Nasr, Aida Alami, Hannah Allam, Jane Arraf, Lina Attalah, Nada Bakri, Shamael Elnoor, Zaina Erhaim, Asmaa al-Ghoul, Hind Hassan, Eman Helal, Zeina Karam, Roula Khalaf, Nour Malas, Hwaida Saad, Amira Al-Sharif, Heba Shibani, Lina Sinjab, and Natacha YazbeckTrade ReviewThe journalists in this book have demonstrated the highest professional achievements and courage. . . Without them, the stories of today and tomorrow will remain only partly told. -- Christiane Amanpour, from the ForewordA refreshing insight...our knowledge of the Middle East is richer and more nuanced thanks to these courageous women; it is long past time that we looked at things from their perspectives. -- Bethan McKernan * Guardian *Showcases journalism at its bravest. Determination, grit and humour shine through the writing. -- Lindsey Hilsum * Observer Books of the Year *Zahra Hankir’s pioneering collection is required reading... An antidote to the endless stream of 'clickbait' and 'content', this is journalism at its most honest and reflective – a multi-dimensional narrative about what it means to be a female journalist in the Arab world and in the West... Hankir shines a light on the strength of those who have reported on war and womanhood and invites us to 'listen to what they have to say'. I urge you to accept her invitation. -- Sarah Collins * The Arts Desk Books of the Year *A stirring, provocative and well-made new anthology . . . a book that banishes all manner of silences... that rewrites the hoary rules of the foreign correspondent playbook, deactivating the old clichés. -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisJames Cameron admired Martha Gellhorn above all other war-reporters 'because she combined a cold eye with a warm heart'. The Chicago Times described her writing as 'wide ranging and provocative, a blend of cool lyricism and fiery emotion, alternately prickly and welcoming, funny and stern'. But make your own judgements, and in the process find yourself plunged straight back into Madrid during the Spanish Civil War, feel the frozen ground of the Finno Russian war, the continent-wide Japanese invasion of China, the massacres in Java, the murderously naive intervention in Vietnam and the USA's dirty little wars in Central America. You will also experience the process of the Second World War by the seat of your pants. It is a tough way to learn history, but also one created in bite-sized chunks, that inspire just as often as they shock.

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Book SynopsisSamanth Subramanian studied journalism at Pennsylvania State University and international relations at Columbia University. He has written for, among other publications, the Guardian, the New Yorker, the New York Times, Mint, the Far Eastern Economic Review, Foreign Policy, New Republic, Foreign Affairs, The National and The Hindu. His first book, Following Fish: Travels Around the Indian Coast, was published by Atlantic Books.Trade ReviewA remarkable book by one of India's most talented young writers of non-fiction... This Divided Island - balanced, observant, good-natured, discursive and frequently witty - is a searingly angry and deeply moving portrayal of the agonies of this conflict... This is a major work, containing oral testimonies from all sides of the conflict, and will stand as a fine literary monument against the government's attempt at imposed forgetfulness. -- William Dalrymple * Observer *In this extraordinary book, Subramanian exposes the fallibility of human beings, forcing us to see how superficial is the veneer of civilised life. This Divided Island is a book of our times, about us and about what we are capable of doing to each other. -- Roma Tearne * Independent *Excellent... The book leaves us with a tantalising sense of the ambiguity of peace and victory: of the new and incongruous conservatism of Sinhalese Buddhism. Subramanian withholds judgement, but the precision of the final descriptions is searing. -- Amit Chaudhuri * Guardian *Excellent, powerful... Subramanian tells this sorry story with verve and compassion, relentlessly tracking down survivors of, and witnesses to, Sri Lanka's agonies * Literary Review *Brutal majoritarians and ruthless insurgents have long monopolised our sense of Sri Lanka. Samanth Subramanian's sensitive account makes us aware of a missing human dimension. Exploring a war-ravaged landscape, he is bracingly alert to the role of ambiguity as well as ideology in human affairs. In This Divided Island, one of our finest young writers of non-fiction reveals the complicated lives lived in their shadow. -- Pankaj MishraThe powerful human stories in This Divided Island - told lucidly and vividly - show what Sri Lankans have won and lost * TLS *With the humility of a truly gifted writer, Samanth Subramanian sets out, not to find firm answers to the reasons behind Sri Lanka's civil war, but rather to be changed and opened up by his journey through this war-ravaged land. His journey becomes ours. The things he discovers, the people he meets, haunt us long after we have closed the pages of this sensitive, poignant book. -- Shyam SelvaduraiThere is only one word to describe this book: it's a masterpiece, a Book of the Year, even possibly the decade. -- Mani Shankar Aiyar * India Today *A tour de force. Written with journalistic prowess and integrity, the book succeeds in bringing the war uncomfortably close, so close you can smell the blood. -- Vaishna Roy * The Hindu *Like Philip Gourevitch's account of the genocide in Rwanda, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families, this is a superbly reported book. -- Rahul Jacob * Business Standard *This is narrative journalism at its most literary, diligently researched reportage presented with poetry and flair. -- Shehan Karunatilaka * Mint *The best book on the subject and, what is more, a book different in kind from nearly all that have appeared this far. -- Shyam Tekwan * Tehelka *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER'A delight!' Zoe Ball, BBC Radio 2'Very entertaining.' Irish Times**From UKIP surge to Brexit shambles, horsemeat lasagne to Trump in the White House: bestselling comedian David Mitchell brilliantly tackles the dumbfounding times we live in.As facts are downgraded to opinions, as customers are preyed upon by algorithm-wielding websites, voters by targeted lies, cinema-goers by superheroes and children by measles, it is probably socially irresponsible even to try to cheer up.But if you're determined to give it a go, you might enjoy this eclectic collection (or eclection) of David Mitchell's attempts to make light of all that darkness. Scampi, politics, the Olympics, terrorism, condiments, proportional representation and rude street names are all touched upon by Mitchell's unremitting laser of chit-chat. Read this book and slightly change your life!

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Book Synopsis‘Reads like a mashup of The Godfather and Chinatown, complete with gun battles, a ruthless kingpin and a mountain of cash. Except that it’s all true.’ – TimeIn this thrilling story of real-life events, the bestselling author of Empire of Pain investigates a secret world run by a surprising criminal: a charismatic middle-aged grandmother, who from a tiny noodle shop in New York’s Chinatown, managed a multimillion-dollar business smuggling people.In The Snakehead, Patrick Radden Keefe reveals the inner workings of Cheng Chui Ping aka Sister Ping’s complex empire and recounts the decade-long FBI investigation that eventually brought her down. He follows an often incompetent and sometimes corrupt INS as it pursues desperate immigrants risking everything to come to America, and along the way he paints a stunning portrait of a generation of undocumented immigrants and the intricate underground economy that sustains and exploits them.Grand in scope yet propulsive in narrative force, The Snakehead is both a kaleidoscopic crime story and a brilliant exploration of the ironies of immigration in America.‘A powerful piece of reportage about the violent underworld of New York’s Chinatown’ - The TimesTrade ReviewReads like a mashup of The Godfather and Chinatown, complete with gun battles, a ruthless kingpin and a mountain of cash. Except that it's all true. * Time *Essential reading. . . . A rich, beautifully told story, so suspenseful and with so many unexpected twists that in places it reads like a John le Carré novel. * The Washington Post *A powerful piece of reportage about the violent underworld of New York’s Chinatown * The Times *A masterwork . . . In this single tale about a global criminal, Keefe finds a story of quintessentially American hope. * Christian Science Monitor *Painstakingly reported and vividly told. . . . As immigration reform languishes in Washington . . . everyone involved--from policymakers to activists to the undocumented--would be wise to read The Snakehead. * Newsweek *Published in the UK for the first time, Patrick Radden Keefe’s tireless investigation of human trafficking from China to the US reveals the desperation of the migrants and the woman at the heart of it * The Observer *A formidably well-researched book that is as much a paean to its author's industriousness as it is a chronicle of crime. -- Janet Maslin * New York Times *Bracing, vivid . . . Keefe writes gracefully, perceptively, insightfully . . . Without sacrificing one iota of narrative momentum, he untangles a dauntingly complicated human-trafficking operation so a reader can effortlessly follow along. * The New York Times Book Review *Thoroughly researched and creatively drawn (some scenes are highly dramatic and vivid) by the New Yorker writer, [The Snakehead] is ultimately about the risks these refugees took to play their part in the enduring, grand narrative theme of the American Dream. * The Sydney Morning Herald *Brilliant . . . Keefe’s mastery of this chapter of our ongoing immigration saga is impressive. He muses thoughtfully about its many conundrums and highlights how our ethos of welcoming the persecuted gets soured by bad policy and the pervasive exploitation of the helpless. * Los Angeles Times *Engrossing. . . . Keefe’s narrative delves deeply into Chinatown and the labyrinthine smuggling routes between China and America, but it’s also a glimpse into our conflicted feelings about illegals and the morass of America’s immigration policy. * New York Magazine *A timely, powerful and thoroughly researched book. * The Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisI've had the unique privilege of witnessing some of the most incredible moments in Olympic history. This book beautifully captures these extraordinary events and the athletes who made them possible. Whether you're a sports enthusiast or simply appreciate stories of human triumph, this is a must-read.' Sir Steve Redgrave CBEDive into the thrilling world of the Summer Games during the Paris Olympics 2024Pairing epic sports photography with articles from The Times and Sunday Times archive, this unofficial volume brings together 100 of the most iconic moments from the history of the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.With striking, full-colour photography, rarely seen archival images and sensational reporting on the action, The Times Olympic Moments showcases the moments of heroism, triumph and controversy that continue to make the Games the centrepiece of the global sporting calendar. Featuring the most stunning records, fiercest rivalries and most dramatic upsets, these instants have changed the course of sporting history and captivated generations of fans along the way.The perfect gift for anyone with an interest in the 2024 Olympics, some of the most iconic moments from this book include:Jesse Owens defies Nazi racism, Berlin, 1936The blood in the water' match, Melbourne, 1956Cassius Clay bursts onto the scene, Rome, 1960The Fosbury flop' revolutionises high jump, Mexico City, 1968Terror and tragedy as hostages killed, Munich, 1972Seb Coe vs Steve Ovett in middle-distance rivalry, Moscow, 1980Five in a row for Redgrave, Sydney, 2000Ennis the star of Super Saturday', London, 2012Simmonds surges to victory, London, 2012Phelps becomes the greatest Olympian, Rio de Janeiro, 2016

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Book SynopsisI sometimes fear we shall never wake till we are jerked out of it by the roar of bombs.In 1936, George Orwell volunteered as a soldier in the Spanish Civil War. In Homage to Catalonia, first published just before the outbreak of World War II, Orwell documents the chaos and bloodshed of that moment in history and the voices of those who fought against rising fascism.His experience of the civil war would spark a significant change in his own political views, which readers today will recognise in much of his later literary work; a rage against the threat of totalitarianism and control.

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Book Synopsis**The New York Times and Sunday Times Bestseller**''An ordinary person''s guide to hope. Read this book'' Arundhati Roy''As accessible as it is brilliant'' Owen Jones''A genuine page turner'' Michelle Alexander Naomi Klein - award-winning journalist, bestselling author of No Logo, The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything, scourge of brand bullies and corporate liars - gives us the toolkit we need to survive our surreal, shocking age.''This is a look at how we arrived at this surreal political moment, how to keep it from getting a lot worse, and how, if we keep our heads, we can flip the script.'' Remember when love was supposed to Trump hate? Remember when the oil companies and bankers seemed to be running scared? What the hell happened? And what can we do about it? Naomi Klein shows us how we got here, and how we can make things better. No Is Not Enough revealTrade ReviewNaomi Klein's new study in shock politics is a warning of the enormous toxic potential of the Trump presidency and a call to oppose it. Refusal needs to turn into resistance -- Hari Kunzru * Guardian *A rare thing in political writing: both rousing and profoundly sensible -- Laurie Penny * New Statesman *Naomi Klein anatomises the roots of Trump in the already dystopian world of corporate-ruled America and predicts the "end run around democracy". A clear and readable guide to action -- Paul Mason * Guardian *Klein moves beyond mere outrage and hand-wringing to offer a practical manifesto for opposition * Financial Times *As accessible as it is brilliant, No is Not Enough is an essential blueprint for a worldwide counterattack -- Owen JonesAn ordinary person's guide to hope. Read this book -- Arundhati RoyNaomi Klein's new book incites us brilliantly to interweave our No with a programmatic Yes. A manual for emancipation -- Yanis VaroufakisLike so many of my generation, I've been a reader of Naomi Klein's since the late 90s, always finding something to learn from her rigorous reporting and thoughtful analysis -- Ada Colau, mayor of BarcelonaMagnificent ... a courageous coruscating counterspell -- Junot DíazUrgent, timely, and necessary -- Noam ChomskyWho better than Naomi to make sense of this madness, and help us find a way out? A top-of-the-stack must read -- Michael StipeNaomi is like a great doctor - she can diagnose problems nobody else sees -- Alfonso CuarónNaomi Klein constructs a common story that allows us to sustain the effects of being shocked. We can act upon that, with intelligence and happiness, to recover our world -- Gael García BernalIf you're wondering how Naomi Klein has managed to produce an essential and gripping book so early in the Trump presidency, it's because she's spent her whole intellectual life preparing for just this moment. Trump is the ultimate logo. Every day we watch him try to exploit yet another shock to the system. So this is the book to read - not just the first word on Trump, but in powerful ways the last word as well -- Bill McKibben, author of RADIO FREE VERMONTA genuine page-turner - highly engaging and provocative - and provides a fascinating lens through which we can view our current moment. Klein is not preaching to the choir, but framing the moment, connecting necessary dots, and outlining the challenge that lies ahead in clear terms that anyone can understand -- Michelle Alexander, author of THE NEW JIM CROWNo Is Not Enough is the accumulation of years of brilliant and layered analysis applied with lightning precision to an understanding of how we got to Trump, and how we can use this moment to bring about another system and world -- Eve Ensler, author of IN THE BODY OF THE WORLDNaomi Klein has written a compelling book that we all need to read and act on. No Is Not Enough is an essential handbook for all people, especially young people, who want to understand the economic, social, and political forces that produced the current crisis we are facing - and how we can effectively organize to win a better world -- Danny Glover, actor

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Book Synopsis''On the Shadow Tracks harnesses the railway lines of Myanmar's complicated past to its turbulent present, and the result is part travelogue, part history and completely absorbing. An astonishing achievement'Joanna LumleyIn 2016, while working as a journalist in Yangon, Clare Hammond discovered an obscure map that showed a web of new railways spanning the length and breadth of the country - railways not shown on any other publicly available maps. She was determined to uncover the railways'' origins, purpose, and most of all, the silence that surrounded them. She would spend three months travelling on these mysterious railways, and the next five years piecing their story together.Her journey would take her from Myanmar''s tropical south to the embattled mountain towns that border India and China. In dilapidated carriages, along tracks in disrepair, through contested ethnic states and former sites of forced labour, visiting temples, tea shops and fest

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Book SynopsisNot a Novel is the best of Jenny Erpenbeck's non-fiction. Moving and insightful, the pieces range from personal essays and literary criticism to reflections on Germany's history, interrogating life and politics, language and freedom, hope and despair. By turns both luminous and explosive, this collection shows one of the most acclaimed European writers reckoning with her country's divided past, and responding to the world today with intelligence and humanity.

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Book SynopsisFor decades, Colombia was the 'narcostate'. Now it's seen as one of the rising stars of the global economy. Where does the truth lie? How did a land likened to paradise by the first conquistadores become a byword for hell on earth? And how is it rebuilding itself after decades of violence?Trade ReviewBooks of the Year 2012 -- Boyd Tonkin * The Independent *Creates a portrait of Colombia that is perceptive, unsensational, and full of humanity ... Feiling is a brilliant reporter, lucid, unflinching, morally engaged, and with an occasional deadpan sense of humour .. one of the most consistently intelligent and compelling books to have appeared on any South American country in recent years -- Michael Jacobs * Independent *Tom Feiling takes us on an enlightening journey through a changing country that few understand -- Rachel Aspden * Observer *A deeply political account of one man's journey to the violent heart of modern, rural, Colombia ... a must read -- Kevin Howlett * Colombia Politics *Feiling... venture[s] into areas that have been off limits for decades ... the sense of a vibrant nation worth discovering peeks out -- Siobhan Murphy * Metro *The best British travel writers like Norman Lewis or Bruce Chatwin give the reader more than simple travellers' tales. Feiling is of their company ... a brilliant, penetrating and highly readable account -- Robert Carver * Spectator *Some of the best insights in the book come from the people Feiling meets, and memorably portrays ... a well-written, thoughtful book -- David Gallagher * Times Literary Supplement *Dramatic and captivating * Wanderlust *Elegantly written and knowledgeable. Feiling writes with the eye of a seasoned journalist and the style of a travel writer -- Carl Wilkinson * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisA Times, Financial Times and Telegraph Political Book of the Year''Illuminates some of the great trends of our time'' - Gideon Rachman, Financial Times''Vivid, urgent and unsettling'' - Tom Holland, author of Dominion_____In a series of vivid, empathetic portraits of other people's lives, journalist Ben Judah invites us to meet some of the people who call Europe their home.Who makes up this population of some 750 million, sprawled from Ireland to Ukraine, from Sweden to Turkey? Who has always called it home? Who has newly arrived from elsewhere? Who are the people who drive our long-distance lorries and steward our criss-crossing planes? Who lovingly crafts our legacy wines and fishes our depleted waters? And who risks life itself in search of safety and a new start?Drawn from hours of painstaking interviews, these vital stories reveal a frenetic and vibrant continent which has been transform

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Book SynopsisA selection of the very best writing by A. A. Gill, 'by miles the most brilliant journalist of our age' (Lynn Barber).Trade ReviewI can't think of a writer whose style so exactly replicated their conversation as A. A. Gill. Reading his weekly dispatches was just like being with him in person, which is why so many readers took his death late last year very personally. People - even people who had never met him - felt they'd lost their funniest, most outrageous chum. Opening a paper without an article by him is like going to your store cupboard and finding that there's no chilli or salt: everything is blander without him. Two collections which came out this year, Lines in the Sand and The Best of A A. Gill, showcase him at his finest. Adrian showed incredible courage, wit and generosity of heart during his final weeks. Once my husband, always my friend, he is irreplaceable, on and off the page -- Cressida Connolly * The Spectator Books of the Year *Everything by A. A. Gill was dictated down the phone to obliging assistants, who found him "charming and hilarious", according to Celia Hayley, editor of this posthumous collection of articles ... The fact the text was spoken aloud, performed for an audience, gives the prose its distinctive baroque theatrical flourish. Gill was like a fruity actor, preening and posturing in the limelight, or as he'd have put it, "yearning and longing, exclaiming and declaiming, biding and abiding". His brain was like a thesaurus, so Gill didn't so much construct sentences as compose lists ... The spirits always rose when you opened a paper with him in it, as his affectations and provocations were a tonic. How bland everyone else is in comparison ... Gill's peacockery is much missed, much needed. "That's rather good, isn't it?" he'd chortle to his copytaker, modesty never in his armoury. Indeed, much of it was -- Roger Lewis * The Times Book of the Week *Anyone who writes of a restaurant visit that "it was like eating in an underpass at the end of the world", certainly had something and The Best of A. A. Gill is the pick of the late writer's uniformly excellent journalism, ranging across food, television, travel and family * Choice *[Gill] is breathtakingly rude, sharply perceptive and brilliantly funny all at once. But it isn't all frothing invective. Gill's travel writing ... is gripping and moving in equal measure ... Gill's vivid reporting transports you right into the centre of wherever he is and will not let you go ... [A] must-read collection of brilliant writing -- Mernie Gilmore * DAILY EXPRESS *Few writers could compete with the late, great A. A. Gill. Lap up his wonderful wit, merciless excoriationsand lyrical musings in this collection of his very best journalism, covering everything from eatingturtle to Iraq, dyslexia and Good Morning Britain * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisFor everyone who loves watching Amanda Owen and her family on Our Yorkshire Farm, or enjoys reading her bestselling books, comes this delightful and uplifting collection of her monthly Dalesman columns. In Tales From the Farm by the Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda takes readers on an evocative journey to Ravenseat, where she lives with husband Clive and their nine children, not to mention their flock of sheep, herd of cows, hardworking dogs and a formidable chicken called Linda.Covering events from 2019 through to early 2021, Amanda describes saving the life of a newborn calf on New Year's Eve and watching, mouth agape, as their livestock trailer was swept away by floodwater in March. Son Sidney braves the wrath of Linda and husband Clive crafts an unusual Valentine's Day gift. Eldest daughter Raven leaves the nest, headed for university, while young sheepdog Taff and Tony the pony arrive at the farm. As Covid-19 sends the country into lockdown, Amanda feels more lucky than ever to live close to nature, finding happiness in the beauty of the Dales and the unchanging routines of the farming year.Illustrated with charming line-drawings throughout, this book is the perfect gift for fans of the Owen family and a chance to catch up on their adventures.

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING In this penetrating exploration of contemporary Russia, Joshua Yaffa meets a variety of Russians - from politicians and entrepreneurs to artists and historians - who have built their careers and constructed their identities in the shadow of the Putin system. Torn between their own ambitions and the omnipresent demands of the state, each has found that compromise is essential for survival and success. Between Two Fires is an intimate and probing portrait of a nation much discussed but little understood, and an urgent lesson about the nature of modern authoritarianism.Trade ReviewExquisitely crafted... [Yaffa's] skilled, self- reflective reportage is so fair that it surfaces a different lesson about Russian liberals' incomprehension of ideological complexity, efficacy, or compromise as a force of good, not just evil.... Joshua Yaffa humanely elucidates how the universal phenomenon of moral compromise differs in Russia because the state looms so large * TLS *A sparkling analysis... [a] rich and detailed examination of how Putinism works...This is a measured, clever, well-researched and superbly written work. It will be read long after [the books explaining how Trump has been a KGB agent for 30 years] are deservedly forgotten' * Guardian *Few journalists have penetrated so deep and with so much nuance into the moral ambiguities of Russia. If you want insight into the deeper distortions the Kremlin causes in people's psyches this book is invaluable -- Peter PomerantsevBetween Two Fires is a study of compromise, opportunism, and the fraught moral choices available in Putin's Russia. In a series of carefully reported stories, Joshua Yaffa shows how people choose-sometimes consciously and other times not-to adapt, change and otherwise 'make do' in an authoritarian state. This is the real story of how modern authoritarianism works and even thrives, by manipulating the motivations of the regime's most capable and ambitious citizens -- Anne ApplebaumThis is a book about Putin's Russia that is unlike any other... With a novelist's eye for the telling detail and a philosopher's grasp of moral nuance, Yaffa strings together a sequence of unforgettable portraits, each linked by a central question: how do you reconcile the life you want to live -- the ambitions, the principles -- with the realities of an illiberal system? The result is a profound inquiry into the myriad gradations of individual compromise in post-Soviet Russia, and as good an explanation as I've encountered for how Putin has managed to stay in power for as long as he has -- Patrick Radden KeefeIn Between Two Fires, Joshua Yaffa brilliantly captures the complex choices and compromises that Russians make to survive, thrive, or remain true to one's principles in Putin's Russia. Through captivating storytelling, Yaffa drills deep into profiles of a very diverse set of Russian personalities, capturing with nuance the contradictions of contemporary Russia -- Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to RussiaJoshua Yaffa's portrait of a people is a triumph-a brilliantly original, deeply literate path through the moral struggles and calculations of a modern Russia he knows in his bones. He is allergic to the caricatures of the ruler and the ruled, and is, simply, a beautiful writer, with the humane, tragicomic eye of a novelist and the tough-minded rigor of the best journalists -- Evan Osnos, author of * Age of Ambition *Fizzingly clever... subtle * Telegraph *Yaffa skilfully weaves together perceptive descriptions of flesh-and-blood people with a balanced evocation of the wider political and historical context... Yaffa has a good eye for colourful detail [...] and he proves attentive to the subtleties and ambiguities of Russian life * Financial Times *Wonderfully insightful... Well-told and neatly interlinked * Economist *

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Book SynopsisIn 2015, a year after it started, Bushra al-Maqtari decided to document the suffering of civilians in the Yemeni Civil War, which has killed over 350,000 people according to the UN. Inspired by the work of Svetlana Alexievich, she spent two years visiting different parts of the country, putting her life at risk by speaking with her compatriots, and gathered over 400 testimonies, a selection of which appear in What Have You Left Behind? Purposefully alternating between accounts from the victims of the Houthi militia and those of the Saudi-led coalition, al-Maqtari highlights the disillusionment and anguish felt by those trapped in a war outside of their own making. As difficult to read as it is to put down, this unvarnished chronicle of the conflict serves as a vital reminder of the scale of the human tragedy behind the headlines, and offers a searing condemnation of the international community’s complicity in the war’s continuation.Trade Review‘This is an extraordinary collection of testimonies. It’s almost unbearable to read, but averting your eyes from the suffering to which the book bears witness feels craven. Brave, painful, necessary and harrowing, Bushra al-Maqtari’s work confronts the reader with the devastation of the war in Yemen and gives a voice to those whose lives have been destroyed by it.’ — Marcel Theroux, author of Strange Bodies‘Bushra al-Maqtari’s boundlessly humane project of collecting firsthand accounts to document the nearly decade-long Yemeni Civil War – and the West’s complicity in it – is unblinking in its moral gaze. Every single voice collected in these pages is a blow to the heart. By the time I finished this book, I was consumed by sorrow and rage. This is an act of witnessing, and of making us engage in the witnessing of a disgraceful, criminal war that will shake your soul.’ — Neel Mukherjee, author of A State of Freedom‘An oral history of war’s folly in the tradition of Svetlana Alexievich, as devastating as Goya or Picasso. Al-Maqtari summons us to witness the innocent lives lost, and the love that survives in their wake.’ — Matthieu Aikins, author of The Naked Don’t Fear the Water‘Journalists covering war regularly claim their reporting gives “a voice to the voiceless ”. What Have You Left Behind? demonstrates that survivors of Yemen’s conflict are not voiceless, they are unheard. Bushra al-Maqtari brings a cacophony of voices from one of the world’s most under-reported conflicts; voices that compel us to hear what war does to civilians living through it. What Have You Left Behind? is a disturbing, often evocative and emotional oral record of a war that most of us know little if anything about. This is not the sanitized, politicized version of the conflict debated in the power houses of far-off capitals. If you want to understand the true impact of war, brace yourself to hear these voices from Yemen.’ — Iona Craig, winner of the Orwell Prize for Journalism‘Bushra al-Maqtari’s book is like a cry from those buried beneath rubble, those the world has forgotten, nobody hears, and nobody helps.’ — Ulf Kalkreuth, Das Erste‘For a conflict that has caused arguably the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, the war in Yemen is often described in the most inhuman ways…Bushra al-Maqtari, a journalist, adds a human element to the conflict.’ — The Economist ‘The book’s cumulative effect is terse, angry and devastating. Its images will not leave you easily. Nor should they.’ — Daniel Trilling, TLS‘What Have You Left Behind? reveals the tangled thickets of its local schisms, sectarian ties, and fluid loyalties, all complicated by messy international meddling…. Al-Maqtari’s ambition is to remind us of the only thing we really need to know: facing the war’s unpredictable savagery, bearing its extreme suffering, are real people. Their fate is all that should matter.’ — Samanth Subramanian, New York Review of Books‘When the fire of this war dies down, and the regional conflicting parties agree to a truce, and foreign entities are invited to rebuild the country, in those moments we will still have these heartrending stories, as a reminder of the sheer folly, empty grandeur and cold-blooded cruelty embodied by the war in Yemen.’ — Qantara‘Bushra al-Maqtari writes against forgetting... Her reports get under our skin, horrify, move us to tears. Free of theatricality, the writing simple and compassionate, they make clear what war really means.’ — Susanne El Khafif, Deutschland Radio‘Al-Maqtari’s portraits are unsettling in their urgency, their need to make the world understand that the war in Yemen must not be forgotten... I would even dare to speak of a kind of dark poetry in al-Maqtari. Her language is nuanced and empathetic.’ — Spiesser‘What sets this book apart is its narrative style, without being a novel, and its means of recording and documentation, without actually being a written record or document. ... What we read is painful, but our knowledge is enriched by the facts presented, as well as our literary experience with its language, marked by the pulse of life and death.’ — Al Quds‘It is an attempt to put in words the way cluster bombs kill, and how it feels when your own children, siblings, or parents are torn apart by grenades, shredded by machine gun fire, crushed or buried beneath falling rubble.’ — Florian Keisinger, Der Tagesspiegel‘What Have You Left Behind? is a memento mori for those trapped in a cynical theo-political system that works to deliberately perpetuate misery in the name of power.’ — Tom Bowden, The Book Beat

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Book SynopsisFollowing thirty years of research, including research into recently declassified government archives, this newly revised and expanded edition of Linda Melvern's classic of investigative journalism reveals how policymakers continue to refuse to properly acknowledge their responsibilities under international law. The new edition includes copious new material reckoning with the information that came to light during the 2022 trial of Félicien Kabuga, the alleged financier of the genocide. This new evidence feeds not only into a revised chronology and a wholly new section on the build-up to the genocide, but also into a new appendix that lists the six major genocide memorial sites in Rwanda along with now-incontrovertible details of the massacres that occurred there.Throughout it all, Melvern reveals in unmatched detail the scale, speed, and intensity of the unfolding genocide, and she exposes the Western governments and individuals who could have prevented what was happe

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Book SynopsisJon Krakauer is the author of several books and has received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. According to the award citation, Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer.Trade ReviewA provocative look at the twisted roots of American fundamentalism. -- Will Self * Evening Standard Books of the Year *Excellent . . . a lucid, judicious, even sympathetic account not just of Mormon Fundamentalism but of the seductive power of fanaticism in general. * Daily Telegraph *Remarkable . . . for anyone interested in the wilder frontiers of spiritual conviction, this book is a must. * Independent *

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Book SynopsisThree francs will feed you till tomorrow, and you cannot think further than thatAs a young man struggling to find his voice as a writer, George Orwell left the comfort of home to live in the impoverished working districts of Paris and London. He would document both the chaos and boredom of destitution, the eccentric cast of characters he encountered, and the near-constant pains of hunger and discomfort.Exposing the grim reality of a life marred by poverty, Down and Out in Paris and London, part memoir, part social commentary, would become George Orwell's first published work.

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Book SynopsisOrwell was one of the most celebrated essayists in the English language, and there are quite a few of his essays which are probably better known than any of his other writings apart from Aminal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography A Chronology of George Orwell Selected Essays Shooting an elephant (1936) Inside the whale (1940) Charles Dickens (1940) Boys' weeklies (1940) The art of Donald McGill (1941) Wells, Hitler and the world state (1941) Rudyard Kipling (1942) Raffles and Miss Blandish (1944) In defence of P.G. Wodehouse (1945) Notes on nationalism (1945) The prevention of literature (1946) Decline of the English murder (1946) Politics and the English language (1946) Confessions of a book reviewer (1946) Why I write (1946) Politics vs literature: an examination of Gulliver's Travels (1946) How the poor die (1946) Lear, Tolstoy and the Fool (1947) Writers and Leviathan (1948) Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisBY THE WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR JOURNALISM 2023A powerful collection of journalism on race, racism and Black life and death from one of the nation's leading political voices.''An outstanding journalist and chronicler.'' BERNARDINE EVARISTO''Fused with truth, power and illumination.'' DAVID LAMMY''Every citizen and citizen journalist should have a copy.'' LEMN SISSAY''In short, it is a public service.'' NESRINE MALIKFor the last three decades Gary Younge has had a ringside seat during the biggest events and with the most significant personalities to impact the black diaspora: accompanying Nelson Mandela on his first election campaign, joining revellers on the southside of Chicago during Obama's victory, entering New Orleans days after hurricane Katrina or interviewing Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Maya Angelou and Stormzy. He has witnessed how much change is possible and the power of systems to thwart thTrade Review'A voice of our times.' - Stuart Hall, on STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND'An indispensable guide to 'identity' in politics, and a terrific read.' - Margaret Atwood, on WHO ARE WE?

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Book Synopsis‘Superbly reported, compelling . . . wonderfully captures the spirit of that time’ Financial Times'Gripping and important' Observer __________________________________________________________________________ Nine days that set the course of a nation... Johannesburg, Easter weekend, 1993. Nelson Mandela has been free for three years and is in slow-moving power-sharing talks with President FW de Klerk when a white supremacist shoots Mandela’s popular young heir apparent, Chris Hani, in the hope of igniting an all-out civil war. Will he succeed in plunging South Africa into chaos, safeguarding apartheid for perhaps years to come? Or can Mandela and de Klerk overcome their differences and mutual suspicion and calm their followers, plotting a way forward? In The Plot to Save South Africa, acclaimed South African journalist Justice Malala recounts the rivetinTrade Review‘Superbly reported, compelling . . . wonderfully captures the spirit of that time’ * Financial Times *'Gripping and important' * Observer *‘A dramatic work of history, prodigiously reported and beautifully crafted. Justice Malala is a first-rate storyteller, deftly weaving history with a narrative that reads like a novel. I couldn’t put it down’ -- Jonathan Eig, New York Times bestselling author of Ali: A Life‘Magnificent, furious, nuanced and un-put-downable. Malala steers us through the hatred, the grief, and the courage that shaped one nation-shaking week. The result is a searing thriller, a deeply moving work of investigative journalism, and a mesmerising reminder of what leadership can achieve - and what South Africa almost squandered’ -- Andrew Harding, BBC Africa correspondent‘A suspenseful nonfiction thriller’ * Kirkus *‘Fast-paced, gripping, and expertly crafted, this book reads like a political thriller. With thorough reporting and vivid writing, Justice Malala delivers readers into the heart of South Africa as it faced unprecedented upheaval. The result is a brilliant, moving, and extraordinary account of nine days that shaped a country and a continent, with the entire world looking on’ -- Toluse Olorunnipa, co-author of His Name is George Floyd‘Although heart-wrenching at times, Malala's immaculately researched account underscores the power of Mandela’s great leadership in unimaginably difficult times’ * Booklist Starred Review *Doggedly researched and immersively told, this is a fascinating study of a nation on the brink. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book Synopsis'A hugely significant and wonderfully haunting collection' William Boyd In the 1920s and 1930s, Joseph Roth travelled extensively in Europe, living in hotels and writing about the towns through which he passed and the people he encountered. Collected in one volume, his experiences in Italy, Germany, Russia, Albania and Ukraine form a series of tender vignettes that capture life in the inter-war years. Evocative, curious and sharply observed, these literary postcards document a continent clinging to tradition while on the brink of further upheaval.Trade ReviewA hugely significant and wonderfully haunting collection of Joseph Roth's journalism from the 1920s and '30s. Superbly translated by Michael Hofmann -- William BoydThis wonderful selection of journalism from the Weimar years, a period Roth spent in Paris, Germany and on the road, displays his genius from every angle, as a rebel, a loyalist and a man of compassion. It has been translated by Michael Hofmann, whose ear seems so faultless that you feel in reading his work that you have not been reading a translation at all -- Jan Morris * Daily Telegraph ***** *Thanks to the expert translations of Michael Hofmann, Roth is on track to canonical status... The writing is so consistently incisive that we devour the lot, compulsively, from cover to cover. Roth's philosophical eye universalises minor incidents with aphorisms worthy of Marcus Aurelius -- Amanda Hopkinson * Independent *There are so many fantastic scenes, indelible characters and exquisite lines to marvel at... Dazzling, elegiac, mordant and harrowingly oracular -- George Prochnik * New York International Times *This collection of [Roth's] journalism creates a vivid sense of a continent on the brink of change -- Lucy Popescu * Independent on Sunday *As good as any book in the series [of Hofmann's translations] and, at certain unheralded moments, better -- James Buchan * The Oldie *Atmospheric... dark and funny * National Geographic Traveller *[Roth's] style is quick, dashed with colour and rendered vivid in English by Michael Hofmann... In an explicit labour of love, the distinguished translator draws his favourite bits of Rothania into a multi-hued frescos of a raucous time and place... A new classic -- Stoddard Martin * Jewish Chronicle *Dazzling... An exquisite time capsule -- Robert Bound * Monocle *Poet Michael Hofmann most brilliantly conveys the fury that makes Roth special * Irish Times *Each of the [collection] is an evocative vignette of a bygone era... The Hotel Years is an instant classic -- Lucy Scholes, Paperback of the Week * Observer *Wonderful... displays [Roth's] genius from every angle * Daily Telegraph *Of ineffable worth [these stories] offer us beautifully drawn portraits of the lost world of Mitel-Europa, complete with long train journeys, animated boulevard cafes, grand hotels and a seemingly stylish life lived out of two suitcases in the 1920s and 1930s... [Roth's] stories are bathed with alarming foreknowledge of the new emerging forms of power, yet have no political axe to grind. They are elegiac, dazzling and prescient -- Barnaby Rogerson * Country Life *It seems perhaps a little trite to parrot Roth's assertion that his journalism has given us a portrait of an age - but it is only trite because it is true. With The Hotel Years, Roth has done far more than just give us the portrait of just his age, however, he has also given us a portrait of our own. Reading The Hotel Years is like staring into a mirror - the same anxieties, the same hatreds, the same longings, the same forces at play... Strikingly, Roth's pieces frequently display a Kafka-like suspension of the rules of our world -- Josh Romm * Forward *

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Book SynopsisTo the charity workers, Dadaab refugee camp is a humanitarian crisis; to the Kenyan government, it is a 'nursery for terrorists'; to the western media, it is a dangerous no-go area; but to its half a million residents, it is their last resort. Situated hundreds of miles from any other settlement, deep within the inhospitable desert of northern Kenya where only thorn bushes grow, Dadaab is a city like no other. Its buildings are made from mud, sticks or plastic, its entire economy is grey, and its citizens survive on rations and luck. Over the course of four years, Ben Rawlence became a first-hand witness to a strange and desperate limbo-land, getting to know many of those who have come there seeking sanctuary. Among them are Guled, a former child soldier who lives for football; Nisho, who scrapes an existence by pushing a wheelbarrow and dreaming of riches; Tawane, the indomitable youth leader; and schoolgirl Kheyro, whose future hangs upon her education. In City of Thorns, Rawlence interweaves the stories of nine individuals to show what life is like in the camp and to sketch the wider political forces that keep the refugees trapped there. Lucid, vivid and illuminating, here is an urgent human story with deep international repercussions, brought to life through the people who call Dadaab home.

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Book SynopsisA lively and spontaneous interview with Etel Adnan about her absolute belief in the beauty of the world and the beauty of art.  In these interviews with journalist and editor Laure Adler, conducted in the months before her death in November 2021, Etel Adnan traces with depth and emotion the founding experiences of her artistic approach, between poetry and painting. From her youth in Lebanon, her American years in New York and California, to her late recognition at Documenta in 2012 and her life in France, the conversation covers philosophy, painting, poetry and aesthetics, as well Adnan''s views on history and politics in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. These transcripts usher the experiences and observations of Adnan''s long and rich life into an intimate and spontaneous conversation with a dear friend—a window on the “universe” of her imagination.

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Book SynopsisA wonderful novel and perfect book club choice, The Right Stuff is a wildly vivid and entertaining chronicle of America's early space programme.WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY US ASTRONAUT SCOTT KELLY‘What is it,’ asks Tom Wolfe, ‘that makes a man willing to sit on top of an enormous Roman Candle…and wait for someone to light the fuse?’ Arrogance? Stupidity? Courage? Or, simply, that quality we call 'the right stuff'?A monument to the men who battled to beat the Russians into space, The Right Stuff is a voyage into the mythology of the American space programme, and a dizzying dive into the sweat, fear, beauty and danger of being on the white-hot edge of history in the making.‘Tom Wolfe at his very best… Learned, cheeky, risky, touching, tough, compassionate, nostalgic, worshipful, jingoistic...The Right Stuff is superb’ New York Times Book ReviewTrade ReviewTom Wolfe’, article: ‘You only had to look at him… or read such books as The Bonfire of the Vanities and The Right Stuff to know that Tom Wolfe was like no other -- John Pye * The Scotsman *The hero you couldn’t hope to emulate’, article: ‘Journalism, it is said, is the first draft of history. Nobody exemplifies the dictum better than Wolfe, the cultural observer and social critic par excellence -- Mick Brown * Daily Telegraph *Effortlessly, elegantly, Tom Wolfe bestrode both fiction and non-fiction… a style at once objective, subjective, and hallucinatory -- Andy Martin * Independent *[Tom Wolfe’s] gleeful use of punctuation and italics, along with entertaining asides and neologisms that often quickly cemented themselves into the English lexicon, helped Wolfe stand out from other journalists * Guardian *[Wolfe] made literature fun and bores don’t like fun -- Freddy Gray * The Catholic Herald *

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Book SynopsisAS FEATURED IN BBC TWO''S BILLION DOLLAR DOWNFALL: THE DEALMAKER DOCUMENTARYTwo Wall Street reporters investigate the man entrusted with millions to make profits and end poverty but now stands accused of masterminding one of the biggest, most brazen frauds in history.''Gripping'' Guardian***Arif Naqvi was a man with an immeasurable dream: to end world suffering, poverty and disease. His vision? Capitalism used for good, progress and profit.He persuaded politicians he could help stabilize the Middle East after 9/11 by providing jobs. He got Bill Gates to help him start a billion-dollar fund to improve health care in poor countries. He won the support of Obama''s administration and was even appointed to boards by the UN and Interpol.The only problem? In 2019 Arif Naqvi was arrested on charges of money laundering and misappropriating hundreds of millions of dollars. He now faces up to 291 years in jail. This is the true, jaw-dropping investigation into the smoke and mirrors world of The Key Man.***''Impeccably researched and sumptuous in its detail . . . It''s a page-turner'' The Economist''This book tells the story brilliantly. . . Well-paced and cleverly organised. It also draws some devastating conclusions'' The Sunday Times''A pacy and deeply-reported tale'' Financial TimesLONGLISTED FOR THE FT MCKINSEY BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEARTrade ReviewA scorching epilogue... This is tough stuff and this is a tough book that should contribute to much greater scepticism about the bloated financial system * The Sunday Times *Impeccably researched and sumptuous in its detail...It is a page-turner, built around a riveting portrait of the key man of the title. Mr. Naqvi who comes across as a teeming mass of contradictions * The Economist *A pacy and deeply-reported tale * Financial Times *Gripping... The account raises questions over whether 'impact investing' and 'stakeholder capitalism' are less about poverty alleviation for the world than guilt alleviation for the Davos elite * Guardian *For an astonishing story of how the global economy can be manipulated, read the devastating account in The Key Man * David Ignatius, Washington Post *A riveting account of the intertwining of brilliance and greed... Should be a mandatory read at all schools of journalism and business schools. It's a rare tour de force from which both can learn * Business Standard, India *Clark and Louch have done an outstanding job in untangling the knots that usually keep the secretive world of private equity out of reach for most people * Pakistan's Dawn *This excellent book, which is more true crime than finance, describes in cinematic detail how Naqvi and his colleagues pumped up valuations, moved money between the company, its funds and their personal accounts, and lied about performance * Reuters *It's a sorry tale, one that raises important questions about our ability to deliver 'ethical' capitalism * Chris Blackhurst, The National *Spellbinding. You won't want to put the book down * Eileen Applebaum, coauthor of Private Equity at Work *An unbelievable true tale of greed, corruption and manipulation among the world's financial elite and how the World Bank, Bill Gates and the governments of the US, UK, France, and many more fell victim to the world's largest private equity Ponzi scheme * Harry Markopolos, the Bernie Madoff whistleblower *The rigour and colossal effort that went into this book transpires on each page. There is no dull moment. It is 300 pages of reading pleasure mixed with serious discomfort at what is being presented * Ludovic Phalippou, professor of Financial Economics at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford *A rip-roaring account of one of the biggest frauds in corporate history * Owen Walker, award-winning FT journalist and author of Built on a Lie *This splendid cautionary tale lays bare the vulnerabilities of the world of high finance, where even the grandees of Davos were marks for the kid from Karachi * John Helyar, coauthor of Barbarians at the Gate *A highly readable reminder of how greed and gullibility so often go together, and why we need good investigative journalism to keep reminding us that if the pitch (and the person doing the pitch) look just too good to be true there is probably something fishy going on behind the scenes * Professor Sir David Omand, former director of GCHQ and author of How Spies Think *An emphatic indictment of the 'expert class' people who think agility with numbers is somehow equivalent to wisdom and morality * Duff McDonald, author of The Golden Passport *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of the most dazzling luminaries of contemporary American fiction * Sunday Times *A prose magician, Mr Wallace was capable of writing . . . about subjects from tennis to politics to lobsters, from the horrors of drug withdrawal to the small terrors of life aboard a luxury cruise ship, with humour and fervour and verve -- Michiko Kakutani * The New York Times *A heady reminder of why we got hooked in the first place * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS 2021The riveting story of a nation at a crucial crossroadsFrom the start of his stint as RTÉ''s Washington Correspondent Brian O''Donovan''s lively and authoritative reporting of a tumultuous period in American life has been must-watch TV.Four Years in the Cauldron is his account of four busy years working in the US. He draws a compelling picture, full of telling colour and detail, of covering its fractured politics, particularly the extraordinary presidency of Donald Trump and the knife-edge election of Joe Biden. And he gives his unique perspective on big stories such as the Covid emergency, the Capitol riot, the murder of George Floyd and trial and conviction of his police killer.He also provides a visceral sense of what it''s like living in a country shaped by guns, God, far-fetched conspiracy theories and the running sore of racism. Yet, drawing on his network of contacts, neighbours, friTrade Review[O'Donovan] captures well both the frenetic life of a reporter . . . and the Punch and Judy period in American politics that was the Trump presidency * Irish Times *An intriguing look at an extraordinary time . . . the book brings us to some fascinating places -- Ryan TubridyA great read * The Last Word with Matt Cooper *An amazing book, full of stories and anecdotes -- Neil Prendeville * Red FM *

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times Bestseller and #1 international bestseller'A moving and bittersweet story' Sun Keeping My Sister’s Secrets by Beezy Marsh is the heartwarming true story of three sisters and their fearless fight to survive the hardships of poverty and war - by whatever means necessary.Born into a close-knit working class family in the slums of London’s Waterloo, Eva, Peggy and Kathleen are three remarkably different, but very loving sisters. Desperate to escape their violent father, they find different ways to survive. Beautiful Kathleen escapes into marriage with an abusive man, and during the horrors of the Second World War, falls in love again - this time with an American GI. Peggy, serious and studious, is appalled by conditions in the factories and becomes a communist, desperate to help her fellow workers. The rebellious sister, Eva, will do anything to protect her family - even if it means breaking the law to put dinner on the table.Living closely together, the sisters support each other through thick and thin - their story is a moving tale of unconditional love, the one constant in a changing world.Trade ReviewA moving and bittersweet story * The Sun *

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Book Synopsis'THE POLITICAL BOOK OF THE YEAR' Tim ShipmanA blistering narrative exposé of infighting, skulduggery and chaos in Corbyn's Labour party, now revised and updated.* A Times, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times and i Newspaper Book of the Year *Left Out tells, for the first time, the astonishing full story of Labour's recent transformation and historic defeat.Drawing on unrivalled access, this blistering exposé moves from the peak of Jeremy Corbyn's popularity and the shock hung parliament of 2017 to Labour's humbling in 2019 and the election of Keir Starmer. It reveals a party at war with itself, and puts the reader in the room as tensions boil over, sworn enemies forge unlikely alliances and lifelong friendships are tested to breaking point.This is the ultimate account of the greatest experiment seen in British politics for a generation.'Gripping... Every bit as good as people say' Guardian'Reads like a thriller...told with panache and pace' Financial Times'The definitive post-mortem of the Corbyn project' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewA stunningly good book with jaw-dropping revelations on every page, Left Out is the ultimate inside story of how Jeremy Corbyn went from the brink of victory to one of the worst defeats in British political history. It is both a breath-taking work of political journalism and a gripping first draft of history that is unlikely ever to be bettered. Unquestionably the political book of the year -- TIM SHIPMAN, author of All Out WarAn outstanding, balanced account of the Corbyn leadership from 2017-2019. My one tip? Don't read it late, you won't be able to sleep because of the anger -- Aaron BastaniDeeply reported ... reads like a thriller ... one of the more riveting stories in modern British political history ... told with panache and pace ... Gossip aside, Left Out delivers a piercing analysis of the pressures on Labour's leadership as the party broke on the rocks of Brexit * Financial Times *Brimming with such jaw-dropping moments, forensically gleaned from interviews with virtually all the leading characters from this extraordinary political period ... entertaining and immensely readable ... the scars and grudges, captured magnificently by Pogrund and Maguire, are still fresh ... The authors don't attempt to take sides ... instead they give ample space to both sides ... to allow readers to make up their own minds ... as sensational a tale as any TV drama ... one of the most remarkable periods in British political history, and Left Out is an objective, fact-packed and fascinating record of it * Telegraph***** *It really is every bit as good as people say; superbly written, exceptionally detailed, scrupulously fair, but above all gripping. It's hard to put down -- Andrew Sparrow * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThe prizewinning author of The Ungrateful Refugee asks who is believed in our society, who is not - and why?'An ambitious and moving exploration of the borders we draw around credible victimhood that will cement Nayeri's position as a master storyteller of the refugee experience' Guardian Dina Nayeri's wide-ranging, groundbreaking new book combines deep reportage with her own life experience to examine what constitutes believability in our society. Intent on exploring ideas of persuasion and performance, Nayeri takes us behind the scenes in emergency rooms, corporate boardrooms, asylum interviews and into her own family, to ask - where lies the difference between being believed and being dismissed? What does this mean for our culture?As personal as it is profound in its reflections on language, history, morality and compassion, Who Gets Believed? investigates the unspoken social codes that determine how we relate to one another.'An important, courageous, brilliant book'Robert Macfarlane, bestselling author of Underland'Dina Nayeri asks an incredibly important question, and the answers she finds are crucial for all of us'Oliver Bullough, bestselling author of Butler to the WorldTrade ReviewAn elegant telling of truth to power... published at a poignant moment * Observer *An important, courageous, brilliant book; an interrogation of "disbelief culture" and the injustice that both fuels it and is fuelled by it, a form-shifting memoir of an already-remarkable life, and a moving, harrowing investigation of love, loss and care. -- Robert Macfarlane, author of UNDERLANDI was hugely moved by this book ... Essential reading, an extraordinary labor of love and hope that is destined to become indispensable in the continuing struggle for justice. -- John Burnside, author of A LIE ABOUT MY FATHERInstantly gripping... an ambitious and moving exploration of the border we draw around credible victimhood, and will cement Nayeri's position as a master story teller of the refugee experience * Guardian *Nayeri's mesmerizing, genre-bending book braids together narratives of asylum seekers, exonerated felons, and religious converts ... Heartbreaking and hopeful. Reading this book will upend your preconceptions about who is worthy of belief, as writing it did for Nayeri herself. -- Amanda Frost, author of YOU ARE NOT AMERICAN: CITIZENSHIP STRIPPING FROM DRED SCOTT TO THE DREAMERSA compelling, generous, and distinctive inquiry into the nature of belief, credibility, and, above all, the deeply unjust and unequal societies in which we live. -- Chitra Ramaswamy, author of HOMELANDS: THE HISTORY OF A FRIENDSHIPA profound, gorgeous, devastating book, exhilarating in both its compassion and its contemplation of pain ... Who Gets Believed? is that rarest of creations, an original work about a condition in which we are all implicated. -- Jeff Sharlet, bestselling author of THE FAMILY and THIS BRILLIANT DARKNESSA truly remarkable book, where universal and deeply personal themes are powerfully interwoven ... A masterclass in storytelling, teasing out the crucial implications of 'who gets believed' for all of us. -- Steve Crawshaw, policy director at Freedom from Torture and author of STREET SPIRIT: THE POWER OF PROTEST AND MISCHIEF

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Book SynopsisONE OF 2023'S BIGGEST NEW BOOKS (GUARDIAN)A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2023A GUARDIAN 'IF YOU READ ONE BOOK ABOUT . . .' POLITICS PICKA WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2023: POLITICSA THE WEEK CHRISTMAS BOOK CHOICESix years after Brexit, it can feel like we're still having the same conversations.This is the explainer we need to move on.And we do need to move on, because in the meantime so much has changed. The economic realities that are making the UK less competitive, less productive and less well-off are ever more obvious - and more and more people are finding out the Brexit they were sold was based on falsehoods and fantasy.So what exactly went wrong with Brexit?In this book, Peter Foster dispels the myths and, most importantly, shows what a better future for Britain after Brexit might look like. With clear-headed practicality, he considers the real costs of leaving the EU, how we can recover international trust in the UK, how to improve cooperation and trade with our neighbours, and how to begin to build the Global Britain that Brexit promised but failed to deliver.The politicians won't talk about it, so we need to.Trade ReviewA brilliant guide through Brexit's complexities * * The Times * *Coolly, meticulously, Foster builds his case. [ . . . ] It is journalism at its best, wedding a determination to explain complex issues to a wider audience clearly with well-founded anger * * Guardian * *A fresh view on botched Brexit . . . I agree with almost every word of Foster's book * * Sunday Times * *Peter Foster's sober assessment, based on the forensic and methodical reporting for which he has become renowned [. . .], is delivered with convincing and riveting detail in this tightly-argued book * * Irish Times * *Shows how a classic populist alliance of fanatics and opportunists mixed simplistic analysis with heated rhetoric and outright lies to weaken the UK's most important economic relationship and threaten its domestic stability -- MARTIN WOLF * * Financial Times * *Everyone should read this book. And then read it again and memorise it. Clear headed, unemotional, fact-rich - a definitive account of the economic damage we have self-inflicted and, crucially, the recipe for how we can start to mitigate it to get the country working again -- EMILY MAITLISFoster has been a tireless and expert chronicler of Brexit reality even as many of his fellow journalists failed or refused to understand both simple and complex facts. This book shows why he is among the best qualified commentators in the country to explain how we got into this mess and, more importantly, how we might begin to get out of it -- JAMES O'BRIENPrecise, concise, considered and wise -- DAVID AARONOVICHThe Brexit debate was conducted in furnace-like temperatures and at a million decibels. In this excellent analysis, Foster relies on the quiet persuasiveness of facts and figures to explain how Britain's economy has been so seriously damaged by leaving the EU. And what needs to change in the future -- JON SOPELGets to the issues underlying so much of the recent chaos. [Foster] was a balanced voice at the Telegraph where he covered Europe during the negotiations, and here presents prognosis and prescription for Britain's Brexit-related woes * * Guardian * *

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Book Synopsis "I have never read anything that so fully and perfectly captured the personal experience and the personal aftermath of war" P. J. O'RourkeA young, devil-may-care Englishman reporting on the Soviet war makes a fateful commitment to a swashbuckling Afghan guerrilla commander. Not only will he go inside the capital secretly and live in the network of safe houses run by the resistance, he will travel around the city in a Soviet Army jeep, dressed as a Russian officer. Waiting in the mountain camp, from where Niazuldin's band of fighters lived and planned their hit-and-run attacks on Soviet troops, Ed Gorman discovers what it means to experience combat with men whose only interest is to be killed or martyred.After that summer in Kabul province the young freelancer became a staff reporter for The Times, covering conflicts in Northern Ireland, the Gulf, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Balkans, but Afghanistan never let him go. Death of a Translator is a searingly honest description of a mind haunted and eventually paralysed by the terror of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder."Death of a Translator is a powerful and personal read. Ed Gorman discusses his experiences in an incredibly open and moving way. His story is an example to us all" - Brigadier Ed Butler CBE, DSOWith a new preface by Ed GormanTrade ReviewI have never read anything that so fully and perfectly captured the personal experience and the personal aftermath of war. This is a brave book. Ed Gorman has a lonely struggle, but, excellent reporter that he is, he shows us how the struggle is not his alone.By turns gripping, enlightening and deeply moving, Ed Gorman's story should be required reading for any editor in charge of sending journalists into harm's way. * author of AFTERSHOCK *Few autobiographies are page-turners. Ed Gorman's is. I cannot recommend this well crafted, exciting yet moving book too much. * author of TAKING COMMAND *

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Book Synopsis'Just incredible' Naomi Klein'Gripping and shocking...with the pace of a thriller' The TimesA New York Times bestseller, The Outlaw Ocean is a riveting, adrenalin-fuelled tour of a vast, lawless and rampantly criminal world that few have ever seen: the high seas.The oceans are some of the last untamed frontiers on our planet.Too big to police, and under no clear international authority, these treacherous waters play host to the extremes of human behaviour and activity.From traffickers, smugglers and pirates to vigilante conservationists, stowaways and seabound abortion-providers, Ian Urbina introduces us to the inhabitants of this hidden world and their risk-fraught lives. Through their extraordinary stories, he uncovers a globe-spanning network of crime and exploitation that emanates from the fishing, oil and shipping industries - but to which all of us are connected.LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2019'An astonishing book about a world most of us don't even know exists' Oliver Bullough, author of Moneyland'An outstanding investigation of a global criminal culture on the high seas' Guardian'Truly important... A complex portrait of an unseen and disturbing world' New York TimesTrade ReviewGripping and shocking by turns … Most of the book clips along with the pace of a thriller … stomach-churningly tense … as outlandish and as thrilling as a heist film * The Times *Just incredible -- Naomi KleinUrbina has written an astonishing book about a world most of us don't even know exists. These are dispatches from the lawless ocean - of traffickers, slaves, heroes, gangsters, crooks and scoundrels - which will amaze, enthral and appal you -- Oliver Bullough, author of MoneylandA riveting, terrifying, thrilling story of a netherworld that few people know about, and fewer will ever see. As Ian Urbina ventures into the darkest folds of the high seas, his courage—and his prose—are breathtaking' SUSAN CASEY, author of The Wave -- Susan Casey, author of The WaveAn outstanding investigation of a global criminal culture on the high seas … His rendezvous with contacts on at least one occasion was arranged for 100 miles offshore through mountainous waves … Little wonder the stories he tells have not been told before * Guardian *Not just a stunning read, this book is a gripping chronicle of the watery wild west and it shows us—frankly unlike anything I've read before—how the vast ocean has become a danger zone, and ultimately how we all pay a price for this mayhem and mistreatment' JOHN KERRY, former Secretary of State and founder of the Our Ocean Conference -- John Kerry, former Secretary of State and founder of the Our Ocean ConferenceTranscendent, rendering a complex portrait of an unseen and disturbing world. Urbina pursues a depth of reportage that’s rare because of the guts and diligence it requires ... The result is not just a fascinating read, but a truly important document. It is also a master class in journalism" New York Times * New York Times *Revelatory … there is no lack of danger in Urbina’s travels; impressively, he never shies away from it … gripping … this drama is riveting, but so is the endemic abuse Urbina finds … if you want to be a crook, there is no better place to do it than at sea … the laxness of enforcement makes Urbina’s investigations essential -- Rose George * New Statesman *Incredible, readable, riveting -- Sam Walker * Wall Street Journal *It’s this kind of hard-assed reporting that can ultimately change the world for the better -- Chris Dixon * Scuttlefish *You simply have to read this -- Karen Tumulty * Washington Post *Staggering -- Oliver Franklin-Walles * Wired *

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Book SynopsisA collection of the very best recent journalism of A. A. Gill, 'by miles, the most brilliant journalist of our age' (Lynn Barber).Trade ReviewGill's broadsides, his impatience, his scathing penportraits were, it becomes particularly clear when you read his work en bloc, the byproduct of his desire that we should wriggle free of conformity, embrace pleasure, eat our fill -- Alex Clark * GUARDIAN *Lines in the Sand, a treat for his many fans, gathers the best of Gill's journalism from 2011 to 2016. Ranging from travel reportage to serio-comic appreciations of Savile Row tweed and the delights of condensed milk, the pieces are lit up by the author's trademark literary flourishes and waspish put-downs -- Ian Thomson * EVENING STANDARD *Serene, painfully wise ... glimpses of a loftier truth are the glory of Gill's essays, and they open metaphysical vistas in journalistic junkets or stunts contrived for the sake of a feature article ... His essays - so delicate in their connoisseurship of nature and culture, so tender in their sketches of family, friends and anonymous strangers in refugee camps, so brightly witty and yet so unexpectedly profound - affirm the manifold pleasures of being alive, which is why they enrich the life of anyone who reads them, and in Gill's absence will go on doing so -- Peter Conrad * OBSERVER *As Lines in the Sand, his final collection of journalism - published just a few weeks after his death from cancer, aged 62 - makes clear, Mr Gill's opinions actually held prejudice, piety and pretension to account ... Mr Gill's overriding message throughout these pieces is that experience should be gulped down, pleasure embraced, and conformity shunned ... "There's a basic human need to tell someone what we saw, where we've been," Mr Gill writes, and his dispatches - opinionated, experienced - are told with eloquence and elan, from war zones and home counties camp sites, to, finally, the cancer ward ... Elsewhere, he writes of Lord Snowdon: "His immensely sympathetic eye was often a surprise to people who knew only his waspish tongue." There could be no better epitaph for Mr Gill himself. -- Stuart Husband * MR PORTER *AA Gill was that rare writer, famously able to serve up waspishness and compassion in the same sentence. Both are on full display in Lines in the Sand ... Written with style and ubiquitous wit, this collection of essays is only further proof that Gill's voice will be sorely missed -- Laura Garmeson * FINANCIAL TIMES *I can't think of a writer whose style so exactly replicated their conversation as A. A. Gill. Reading his weekly dispatches was just like being with him in person, which is why so many readers took his death late last year very personally. People - even people who had never met him - felt they'd lost their funniest, most outrageous chum. Opening a paper without an article by him is like going to your store cupboard and finding that there's no chilli or salt: everything is blander without him. Two collections which came out this year, Lines in the Sand and The Best of A A. Gill, showcase him at his finest. Adrian showed incredible courage, wit and generosity of heart during his final weeks. Once my husband, always my friend, he is irreplaceable, on and off the page -- Cressida Connolly * THE SPECTATOR Books of the Year *Thankfully, the late A A Gill was neither diplomatic or sensitive. Collecting together the last five years of Adrian Anthony's many highlights, Lines in the Sand sees him wasp around the world with passion, honesty and glorious, wickedly funny words. He's already much missed * WANDERLUST *The late AA Gill was a journalist who you either loved or hated, but was impossible to ignore, and this is an excellent selection of his writing, spanning the wide range of his interests, from food and television to travel and family. Even when facing his own mortality, Gill was uninhibited and brutally honest This collection does him proud * CHOICE *

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Book SynopsisAn important and honest book that will encourage better conversations about sex. I wish I read this when I was younger!' - Laura Whitmore'A must-read for anyone whose sexual expression has been used as a weapon against them' Ruby Rare'A fascinating deep dive into the history of slutshaming' - Service 95, Dua Lipa's Book ClubA 'taboo-smashing debut book' - CosmopolitanFrom award-winning journalist Beth Ashley comes a groundbreaking investigation into the history of slutshaming, how it continues to affect us today and what we can do to fight it. Whore. Hoe. Jezebel. Harlot. Slut. Five words. One meaning. But what exactly is a slut? How has the concept changed over time? And why is slutshaming so dangerous?In this groundbreaking investigation, Beth Ashley reveals the truth about slutshaming, gives us the tools to fight it, and encourages us all to have better conversations about sex. The fight starts now.

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Book Synopsis''I''ve never met Danny Finkelstein but I think I''m in love with him. His book is such good company sane, intelligent and witty. He deals with serious subjects in an immensely readable way If I''m asked to nominate my book of the year, this will be it'' Wendy CopeWriting on everything from a defence of suburban life and moderate politics to big ideas and pop culture, Daniel Finkelstein is one of the UK's most entertaining and widely read columnists.This collection brings together Finkelstein's greatest writings from The Times, ranging from the personal with his articles on growing up Jewish in Hendon Central and on the deaths of both of his parents to the political, with columns on how to predict elections, the way political science showed us Ed Miliband was on his way to defeat, and why the base rate of coups meant Jeremy Corbyn wouldn't be ousted before an election.Wry, informed and often brilliantly funny, these pieces zip between Walt Disney, Hilary Clinton, David Bowie, MargaTrade Review‘This is Danny Fink at his very Danny Fink finest: elucidating, wise and intensely curious – always searching to explain the political from the places few other writers dare to go – be it a Finnish ringroad or a Coca-Cola focus group … In this collection of columns, Danny reminds us of a singularly profound truth – that all politics comes back to the messy rub of humanity – the small personal triumphs and the unforgotten indignities. It is his deep understanding of human nature that makes this book funny, warm and percipient. A joy.’Emily Maitlis ‘Finkelstein has the ability to make you smile and think at the same time – a rare voice of calmness and reason in a world increasingly devoid of both’Robert Harris ‘Through the clarity of his words and the depth of his insight, Daniel Finkelstein has been a voice of moderation and reason amidst the anger and uncertainty in British public life. His wisdom has now been captured in this collection which should be required reading for all who seek a better and more hopeful future’Jonathan Sacks ‘Danny's columns are a must read for anyone wanting to understand what's really happening in British politics’Rishi Sunak 'I've never met Danny Finkelstein but I think I'm in love with him. His book is such good company – sane, intelligent and witty. He deals with serious subjects in an immensely readable way. Many of the pieces confirm opinions I already held – such as admiration for Sir John Major – but he has persuaded me to change my mind over a few things. His defence of humdrum everyday life reminds me how lucky we are to live in peaceful times … If I'm asked to nominate my book of the year, this will be it'Wendy Cope

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Book SynopsisIn 2016, while working as a journalist in Yangon, Clare Hammond discovered an obscure map that showed a web of new railways spanning the length and breadth of the country - railways not shown on any other publicly available maps. She was determined to uncover the railways' origins, purpose, and most of all, the silence that surrounded them. She would spend three months travelling on these mysterious railways, and the next five years piecing their story together. Her journey would take her from Myanmar's tropical south to the embattled mountain towns that border India and China. In dilapidated carriages, along tracks in disrepair, through contested ethnic states and former sites of forced labour, visiting temples, tea shops and festivals, Clare encountered a colourful and contradictory Myanmar through the stories of its people. Simultaneously a lush and evocative travelogue, an unsparing account of Myanmar's recent history, and an astonishing, conversation-shifting engagement with Britain's colonial legacy, On the Shadow Tracks is that rare and necessary thing: a book that finds and tells the truth.

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Book SynopsisA classic collection of the New Yorker's most urgent and groundbreaking reporting from the front lines of the climate emergencyIn 1989, just one year after climatologist James Hansen first came before a Senate committee and testified that the earth was now warmer than it had ever been in recorded history, thanks to humankind's heedless consumption of fossil fuels, New Yorker writer Bill McKibben published a deeply reported and considered piece on climate change and what it could mean for the planet.At the time, the piece was to some speculative to the point of alarmist; read now, McKibben's work is heroically prescient. Since then, the New Yorker has devoted enormous attention to climate change, describing the causes of the crisis, the political and ecological conditions we now find ourselves in, and the scenarios and solutions we face.The Fragile Earth tells the story of climate change its past, present, and future taking readers from Greenland to the Great Plains, and into both labTrade Review‘Immersive and engaging . . . Reading three decades of essays on this important and urgent topic, one is appalled that we know so much and have repeatedly done so little with that knowledge, as well as simultaneously hopeful and skeptical that technological solutions can save us now’ Library Journal ‘Illuminating and powerful . . . A memorable book with a resounding message’ Publishers Weekly (starred review)

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