Search results for ""Author Michael Wood""
HarperCollins Publishers The Seventh Victim
From the bestselling author of the DCI Matilda Darke series comes a standalone thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page… ‘Dark, twisting and captivating. The very essence of the just-one-more-page thriller’ Will Carver ‘Wood gets better with every book. I couldn’t let go of this tragedy of loss and deception from the moment I picked it up’ Alex Marwood, author of The Island of Lost Girls *** On a cold February afternoon in 1990, seven-year-old Danny Redpath disappeared from his home. Four months later, his body was found in the nearby forest, wrapped in a sheet and washed clean of all evidence. Apprehended while attempting to abduct another child, Jonathan Egan-Walsh was charged with the murders of more than a dozen boys. Convicted on all counts, he received life in prison and went unrepentant, still refusing to reveal the whereabouts of one of his victims, Zachery Marshall. Twenty-five years later, Zachery’s mother Diane is still searching for his body. When Jonathan dies in custody, she realises she will never know its location – until she receives a letter he left in his cell, in which he admits he was guilty of all the crimes of which he was accused, except the murder of her son… *** ‘A twisty, gripping read takes us inside the mind of a perverted serial killer. It pulls no punches, and the final scenes come as a real shock’ David Young ‘Immersive and darkly devious with sly twists and a compelling protagonist’ Neil Broadfoot ‘If you like your crime books intense, character-driven and with regular punches to the gut, this is for you’ Louise Swanson Readers love The Seventh Victim: ‘You can't go wrong with a Michael Wood book. His Matilda Darke series is superb and so is this his first standalone’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Dark and twisted’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This book had me gripped and reading through the night’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is one of the darkest books I've read for a very long time, but Michael in his usual way handles it brilliantly’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘My new favourite author’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Utterly fantastic’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Fast-paced’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Bleak and chilling… highly recommended’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers Survivor’s Guilt (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller, Book 8)
‘Tense, twisty, emotional and gripping. Will definitely be reading more from Matilda Darke and this gets a huge 5 stars from me!’ Angela Marsons ‘Matilda Darke is an excellent character’ BA Paris A TEAM TORN APART Nine months ago DCI Matilda Darke survived a bullet to the head. The brutal attack claimed dozens of lives, including those she loved most, and the nightmares still plague her every waking thought. A MEMORY SHE’D RATHER FORGET Now, she’s ready to get back on the job. But a new terror awaits. A woman is found murdered and her wounds look eerily similar to several cold cases. Desperate to find a lead, DCI Darke and her team must face a terrifying truth: a serial killer is on the loose in Sheffield. A THREAT CLOSE TO HOME Matilda has led countless murder investigations before but the lingering emotional scars from her ordeal and the uneasiness within her once-tight team have left tensions high. As the body count rises, Matilda realises that this might just be where it all ends. The brand new instalment in the DCI Matilda Darke series will leave you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Kathy Reichs and Peter James. ‘Had me in tears at one point. Brilliant, non-stop stuff. Feel like I’ve been through some sort of psychological bombardment. Exhausted. Terrific’ John Barlow, author of Right to Kill
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers Stolen Children (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller, Book 6)
‘She is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths The addictive new crime thriller featuring DCI Matilda Darke. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons. ‘DCI Matilda Darke is going places’ James Oswald Some cases won’t die.A young boy walks into a police station in France. He claims to be Carl Meagan – a missing child from Sheffield whose name is still whispered as a warning to kids who stay out after dark. Some children won’t be found.On her way home from the supermarket, nine-year-old Keeley Armitage vanishes without trace. Her family is overcome with shock and DCI Matilda Darke can’t help but focus on memories of the Carl Meagan case that almost ruined her career. Some killers won’t be stopped.As Matilda investigates, she peels back the layers of grief and sadness that surround Keeley’s family. Until she is left with an unimaginable choice: betray those closest to her or let a violent killer walk free…
£8.99
Princeton University Press On Empson
From one of today's most distinguished critics, a beautifully written exploration of one of the twentieth century's most important literary critics Are literary critics writers? As Michael Wood says, "Not all critics are writers--perhaps most of them are not--and some of them are better when they don't try to be." The British critic and poet William Empson (1906-84), one of the most important and influential critics of the twentieth century, was an exception--a critic who was not only a writer but also a great one. In this brief book, Wood, himself one of the most gifted writers among contemporary critics, explores Empson as a writer, a distinguished poet whose criticism is a brilliant literary performance--and proof that the act of reading can be an unforgettable adventure. Drawing out the singularity and strength of Empson's writing, including its unfailing wit, Wood traces the connections between Empson's poetry and criticism from his first and best-known critical works, Seven Types of Ambiguity and Some Versions of Pastoral, to later books such as Milton's God and The Structure of Complex Words. Wood shows why this pioneer of close reading was both more and less than the inventor of New Criticism--more because he was the greatest English critic since Coleridge, and didn't belong to any school; and less because he had severe differences with many contemporary critics, especially those who dismissed the importance of an author's intentions. Beautifully written and rich with insight, On Empson is an elegant introduction to a unique writer for whom literature was a nonstop form of living.
£20.00
HarperCollins Publishers Silent Victim (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller, Book 10)
He took her voice She took it back Don’t miss the next nerve-shredding instalment in the DCI Matilda Darke Thriller series… A CENSURED DETECTIVE WITH NO LEADS DCI Matilda Darke and her team have been restricted under special measures after a series of calamitous scandals nearly brought down the South Yorkshire police force. A BRUTAL ATTACK WITH NO WITNESSES Now Matilda is on the trail of another murderer, an expert in avoiding detection with no obvious motive but one obvious method. A DEPRAVED KILLER WHO LEAVES NO TRACES When his latest victim survives the attack despite her vocal cords being severed, Matilda is more convinced than ever of the guilt of her key suspect. If only she had a way to prove it… Silent Victim is an unputdownable crime thriller with twists that will make your jaw drop – perfect for fans of Kathy Reichs and Ann Cleeves. Praise for the DCI Matilda Darke Series: ‘Tense, twisty, emotional and gripping. Will definitely be reading more from Matilda Darke and this gets a huge 5 stars from me!’ Angela Marsons ‘Matilda Darke is an excellent character’ BA Paris ‘This explosive novel is already making a bang – with reviewers comparing Michael’s work to that of his heroes Val McDermid and James Oswald’ Sheffield Star ‘DCI Matilda Darke is going places’ James Oswald ‘Crackling dialogue, dark wit and an exciting ending. Recommended if you liked Happy Valley’ Mark Edwards ‘Budge up Jed Mercurio … when you are done working on Line of Duty I think it is time for you to meet Matilda’ LJ, Read and Rated Book Review Blog ‘Excellent plotting. The twists keep on coming making this an irresistible read’ Michael J. Malone ‘I really enjoyed getting to know DCI Matilda Darke’ Robert Bryndza ‘DCI Matilda Darke is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Hangman’s Hold (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller, Book 4)
Your life is in his hands. In the gripping new serial killer thriller from Michael Wood, Matilda Darke faces a vicious killer pursuing his own brand of lethal justice. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons and Helen Fields. There’s a killer in your house.The Hangman waits in the darkness. He knows your darkest secrets.He’ll make you pay for all the crimes you have tried desperately to forget. And he is closer than you think.DCI Matilda Darke is running out of time. Fear is spreading throughout the city. As the body count rises, Matilda is targeted and her most trusted colleagues fall under suspicion. But can she keep those closest to her from harm? Or is it already too late?
£12.99
Ebury Publishing In Search of the Dark Ages
Updated with the latest archaeological research new chapters on the most influential yet widely unrecognised people of the British isles, In Search of the Dark Ages illuminates the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest of 1066. In this new edition, Michael Wood vividly conjures some of the most important people in British history such as Hadrian, a Libyan refugee from the Arab conquests and arguably the most important person of African origin in British history, to Queen Boadicea, the leader of a terrible war of resistance against the Romans.Here too, warts and all, are the Saxon, Viking and Norman kings who laid the political foundations of England: Offa of Mercia, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, and William the Conqueror, whose victory at Hastings in 1066 marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England. Reflecting the latest historical, textual and archaeological research, this revised and updated edition of Michael Wood's classic book overturns preconceptions of the Dark Ages as a shadowy and brutal era, showing them to be a richly exciting and formative period in the history of Britain.
£12.99
Oxford University Press Film: A Very Short Introduction
Film is considered by some to be the most dominant art form of the twentieth century. It is many things, but it has become above all a means of telling stories through images and sounds. The stories are often offered to us as quite false, frankly and beautifully fantastic, and they are sometimes insistently said to be true. But they are stories in both cases, and there are very few films, even in avant-garde art, that don't imply or quietly slip into narrative. This story element is important, and is closely connected with the simplest fact about moving pictures: they do move. Even the older meanings of the word 'film' - a membrane, a covering, a veil, an emanation - now seem to have something to do with moving pictures. Many people believe films are an instrument of illusion, an emphatic way of seeing what is not there; and this capacity has been both celebrated and condemned. 'Like a movie' mostly means like some sort of fairy-tale. But what about the reverse proposition: that more than any other invention film brings us close to the world as it actually is? 'Photography is truth', a character says in a film by Jean-Luc Godard. 'And cinema is the truth twenty-four times per second'. The same claim is made every day, albeit less epigrammatically, by newsreels and surveillance cameras. In this Very Short Introduction Michael Wood provides a brief history and examination of the nature of the medium of film, considering its role and impact on society as well as its future in the digital age. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
£9.04
Simon & Schuster Ltd In the Footsteps of Du Fu
'Superb... Beautifully written and thoroughly researched' - Guardian A beautifully illustrated travelogue, chronicling the life and work of one of the world greatest poets. Du Fu (712-70) is one of China’s greatest poets. His career coincided with periods of famine, war and huge upheaval, yet his secular philosophical vision, combined with his empathy for the common folk of his nation, ensured that he soon became revered. Like Shakespeare or Dante, his poetry resonates in a timeless manner that ensures it is always relevant and offers something new to the modern generation. Now, in this beautifully illustrated book, broadcaster and historian Michael Wood follows in his footsteps to try to understand the places that inspired Du Fu to write some of the most famous and best-loved poetry the world has known. The themes he wrote about – friendship, family, human suffering – are universal and in our troubled times are just as relevant as they were almost 1,300 years ago.
£15.29
HarperCollins Publishers A Room Full of Killers (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller, Book 3)
‘DCI Matilda Darke is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths The third book in Michael Wood’s darkly compelling crime series featuring DCI Matilda Darke. Perfect for fans of Peter James, Lee Child and Karin Slaughter. Eight killers. One house. And the almost perfect murder… Starling House is home to some of the nation’s deadliest teenagers, still too young for prison. When the latest arrival is found brutally murdered, DCI Matilda Darke and her team investigate, and discover a prison manager falling apart and a sabotaged security system. Neither the staff nor the inmates can be trusted. The only person Matilda believes is innocent is facing prison for the rest of his life. With time running out, she must solve the unsolvable to save a young man from his fate, and find a murderer in a house full of killers…
£9.99
HarperCollins Publishers Outside Looking In (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller, Book 2)
‘DCI Matilda Darke is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths The second book in Michael Wood’s darkly compelling new crime series featuring DCI Matilda Darke. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Mark Billingham and Val McDermid. When elderly George Rainsford goes to investigate a suspicious noise one night, the last thing he expects to find is a bloodbath. A man has been killed and a woman brutally beaten, left for dead. The victims are Lois Craven and Kevin Hardaker – both married, but not to each other. Their spouses swear they knew nothing of the affair and, besides, they both have alibis for the attack. With nothing else to link the victims, the investigation hits a dead end. The pressure is on for investigating officer, DCI Matilda Darke: there’s a violent killer on the loose, and it looks like her team members are the new targets. With no leads and no suspects, it’s going to take all Matilda’s wits to catch him, before he strikes again.
£12.99
HarperCollins Publishers For Reasons Unknown (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller, Book 1)
Two murders. Twenty years. Now the killer is back for more… DCI Matilda Darke has returned to work after a nine month absence. A shadow of her former self, she is tasked with re-opening a cold case: the terrifyingly brutal murders of Miranda and Stefan Harkness. The only witness was their eleven-year-old son, Jonathan, who was too deeply traumatized to speak a word. Then a dead body is discovered, and the investigation leads back to Matilda's case. Suddenly the past and present converge, and it seems a killer may have come back for more… A darkly compelling debut crime novel, this is the start of a brilliant series, perfect for fans of Louise Penny and Val McDermid. Praise for Michael Wood: ‘Crackling dialogue, dark wit and an exciting ending’ Mark Edwards ‘DCI Matilda Darke is going places’ James Oswald ‘I really enjoyed getting to know DCI Matilda Darke’ Robert Bryndza ‘A beautifully written book with a dark heart and a secret that impacts on generations’ Sarah Ward ‘A skilfully crafted and compelling debut that hooks from the off and will keep you guessing until the final page’ M.R. Hall ‘Gripping, sad and unexpected’ Alex Marwood
£12.99
Ebury Publishing The Story of India
In The Story of India, Michael Wood weaves a spellbinding narrative out of the 10,000-year history of the subcontinent. Home today to more than a fifth of the world's population, India gave birth to the oldest and most influential civilization on Earth, to four world religions, and to the world's largest democracy.Now, as India bids to become a global economic giant, Michael sets out on an epic journey across this vibrant country to trace the roots of India's present in the incredible riches of her past. The Story of India is a magical mixture of history and travelogue, and an unforgettable portrait of India - past, present and future.
£14.99
Ebury Publishing In Search Of Shakespeare
Almost 400 years after his death, William Shakespeare is still acclaimed as the world's greatest writer, and yet the man himself remains shrouded in mystery. In this absorbing historical detective story, the acclaimed broadcaster and historian Michael Wood takes a fresh approach to Shakespeare's life, brilliantly recreating the turbulent times through which the poet lived: the age of the Reformation, the Spanish Armada, the Gunpowder Plot and the colonization of the Americas. Drawing on an extensive range of sources, Michael Wood takes us back into Elizabethan England to reveal a man who is the product of his time - a period of tremendous upheaval that straddled the medieval and modern worlds. Using a wealth of unexplored archive evidence the author vividly conjures up the neighbourhoods of the Elizabethan London where Shakespeare lived and worked during his glittering career. Full of fresh insights and fascinating new discoveries, this book presents us with a Shakespeare for the twenty-first century: a man of the theatre, a thinking artist, playful and cunning who held up a mirror to his age, but who was also, as his friend Ben Jonson said, 'not of an age, but for all time'.
£14.99
Ebury Publishing In Search of the Dark Ages
This edition of Michael Wood's groundbreaking first book explores the fascinating and mysterious centuries between the Romans and the Norman Conquest of 1066. In Search of the Dark Ages vividly conjures up some of the most famous names in British history, such as Queen Boadicea, leader of a terrible war of resistance against the Romans, and King Arthur, the 'once and future king', for whose riddle Wood proposes a new and surprising solution. Here too, warts and all, are the Saxon, Viking and Norman kings who laid the political foundations of England - Offa of Mercia, Alfred the Great, Athelstan, and William the Conqueror, whose victory at Hastings in 1066 marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England. Reflecting recent historical, textual and archaeological research, this revised edition of Michael Wood's classic book overturns preconceptions of the Dark Ages as a shadowy and brutal era, showing them to be a richly exciting and formative period in the history of Britain. 'With In Search of the Dark Ages, Michael Wood wrote the book for history on TV.' The Times 'Michael Wood is the maker of some of the best TV documentaries ever made on history and archaeology.' Times Literary Supplement
£12.99
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Story of China: A portrait of a civilisation and its people
'A learned, wise, wonderfully written single volume history of a civilisation that I knew I should know more about' Tom Holland'Masterful and engrossing...well-paced, eminently readable and well-timed. A must-read for those who want – and need – to know about the China of yesterday, today and tomorrow' Peter FrankopanChina’s story is extraordinarily rich and dramatic. Now Michael Wood, one of the UK's pre-eminent historians, brings it all together in a major new one-volume history of China that is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand its burgeoning role in our world today.China is the oldest living civilisation on earth, but its history is still surprisingly little known in the wider world. Michael Wood's sparkling narrative, which mingles the grand sweep with local and personal stories, woven together with the author’s own travel journals, is an enthralling account of China’s 4000-year-old tradition, taking in life stationed on the Great Wall or inside the Forbidden City. The story is enriched with the latest archaeological and documentary discoveries; correspondence and court cases going back to the Qin and Han dynasties; family letters from soldiers in the real-life Terracotta Army; stories from Silk Road merchants and Buddhist travellers, along with memoirs and diaries of emperors, poets and peasants. In the modern era, the book is full of new insights, with the electrifying manifestos of the feminist revolutionaries Qiu Jin and He Zhen, extraordinary eye-witness accounts of the Japanese invasion, the Great Famine and the Cultural Revolution under Chairman Mao, and fascinating newly published sources for the great turning points in China’s modern history, including the Tiananmen Square crisis of 1989, and the new order of President Xi Jinping. A compelling portrait of a single civilisation over an immense period of time, the book is full of intimate detail and colourful voices, taking us from the desolate Mongolian steppes to the ultra-modern world of Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. It also asks what were the forces that have kept China together for so long? Why was China overtaken by the west after the 18th century? What lies behind China’s extraordinary rise today? The Story of China tells a thrilling story of intense drama, fabulous creativity and deep humanity; a portrait of a country that will be of the greatest importance to the world in the twenty-first century.
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers Below Ground (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller, Book 11)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'One of the best books ever, in one of the best series ever! It is THAT good!’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A master of horror and suspense’ NetGalley Reviewer ‘Matilda Darke is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths A MISSING DETECTIVE DCI Matilda Darke has been kidnapped and her nemesis, Steve Harrison appears to be behind it. He’s currently residing in the supermax of Wakefield Prison and spends twenty-three hours a day in his cell, so how could he possibly be responsible? A SERIAL KILLER WITH A VENGEANCE As Matilda’s team race to find her, they’re alerted to a body found in an abandoned car on the outskirts of Sheffield. With forensics scouring the woodland for clues, the last thing they expect is for the body count to rise. A RACE AGAINST TIME Meanwhile the search intensifies for the DCI when a video of her kidnapping is leaked to the media. And as she desperately tries to uncover what has led to her being held captive in an underground cell, she’s about to find out how much danger she’s truly in. If Matilda’s team don’t find her soon, they might not find her at all… Early readers have been blown away by Below Ground: ‘Wow what a book… I adore this series and every book is better and better’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This book sets off at a hundred miles an hour and never lets off… this is my favourite detective series’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Exciting, tense and compelling… shocking and brilliant’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow! Wow! Wow! The twists keep on coming to the last page’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I don’t have words! Wow just wow! This blew me away. DCI Matilda Darke and her team are my favourite detectives’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This book had a bit of everything… some crazy twists and turns’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another cracking, nail-biting read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
£9.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Lost Children (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller, Book 9)
Matilda Darke is back… APRIL 2020: LOCKDOWN DI Brady has been tracing victims of systemic abuse at a local children’s home after a high-profile accusation pitched it into the spotlight – a case that couldn’t be more personal. As Matilda and her team piece together the disturbing picture of the history of the home, it soon becomes clear that this is much bigger than they ever suspected. But nothing prepares them for what they uncover next… The Lost Children is an utterly gripping crime thriller weaving a breakneck tale of a vast network of secrets and lies, a relentless detective determined to sabotage it, and a murder that shatters two decades of silence. Praise for the DCI Matilda Darke Series: ‘Tense, twisty, emotional and gripping. Will definitely be reading more from Matilda Darke and this gets a huge 5 stars from me!’ Angela Marsons ‘Matilda Darke is an excellent character’ BA Paris ‘This explosive novel is already making a bang – with reviewers comparing Michael’s work to that of his heroes Val McDermid and James Oswald’ Sheffield Star ‘DCI Matilda Darke is going places’ James Oswald ‘Crackling dialogue, dark wit and an exciting ending. Recommended if you liked Happy Valley’ Mark Edwards ‘Budge up Jed Mercurio … when you are done working on Line of Duty I think it is time for you to meet Matilda’ LJ, Read and Rated Book Review Blog ‘Excellent plotting. The twists keep on coming making this an irresistible read’ Michael J. Malone ‘I really enjoyed getting to know DCI Matilda Darke’ Robert Bryndza ‘DCI Matilda Darke is the perfect heroine’ Elly Griffiths
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Murder House (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller, Book 5)
‘Gory, brutal, devastating, utterly addictive and yet so finely written. This deserves to be huge – and I think it will be. His best yet’ Louise Beech They were the perfect family. It was the perfect crime. The new gripping DCI Matilda Darke crime thriller about the dark secrets that lie within a perfect family. For fans of Patricia Gibney and Angela Marsons. It’s the most disturbing crime scene DCI Matilda Darke has ever seen… The morning after a wedding reception at a beautiful suburban home in Sheffield, the bride’s entire family are stabbed to death – in a frenzied attack more violent than anything DCI Matilda Darke could have imagined. Forensics point to a burglar on the run across the country. But cracks are starting to appear in Matilda’s team, someone is playing games with the evidence – and the killer might be closer to home than they thought… Praise for The Murder House: ‘Matilda Darke is Sheffield’s answer to Northumberland’s Vera and Wood’s stories are up there with the best. Fast-paced, crisp writing and a thoroughly enjoyable read’ David Young, bestselling author of Stasi Child
£8.99
Ebury Publishing In Search Of The Trojan War
For thousands of years we have been enthralled by tales of Troy and its heroes. Achilles and Hector, Paris and the famed beauty Helen remain some of the most enduring figures in art and literature. But did these titanic characters really walk the earth? Was there ever an actual siege of Troy? In this extensively revised edition, historian Michael Wood takes account of the latest dramatic developments in the search for Troy. His wide-ranging study of the complex archaeological, literary and historical records has been brought up-to-date. Detailing the rediscovery in Moscow of the so-called jewels of Helen and the re-excavation of the site of Troy begun in 1988, which continues to yield new evidence about the historical city, In Search of the Trojan War takes a fresh look at some of the most excited discoveries in archaeology. A dazzling and exhaustive analysis. Washington Post This beautifully illustrated book vividly evokes themes that are central to our civilizations quest for its past. The New York Times Book Review
£14.99
Oxford University Press Marcel Proust
A witty, refreshing, and fun book on the experience of reading Marcel Proust. What would the world be like without this work, where would we be if it hadn't happened? This is how Michael Wood found himself writing about Proust's work as an event and about events in relation to that work itself. The event that created the figure we know as Proust did not take a whole lifetime, we can date it to within certain months, perhaps certain weeks, of a certain year, 1908. That was when Proust the interesting occasional writer and full-time socialite, turned into an ostensible hermit and a real novelist. This short book says something about the event as a lifetime affair, and shows what the sudden change of 1908 looks like. It explores the work of Marcel Proust as an event in the world, something that happened to literature and culture and our understanding of history. This event has more aspects than we can count, but this book offers detailed critical snapshots of seven of them: the birth of Proust as a novelist; what he teaches us about the mythology of beginnings; about metaphor as a kind of rebellion; about love as a permanent anxiety attack; about the Dreyfus Affair; about the concept of justice; about the mythology of endings.
£20.04
Little, Brown Book Group The Great Turning Points of British History: The 20 Events That Made the Nation
Twenty of the most crucial moments in Britain's history.BBC History Magazine asked a selection of leading historians to choose and describe the twenty most important turning points in British history from AD 1000 to 2000. Collected together, their choices present a new way of looking at our nation's story. From the Danish invasion of Britain in 1016, to the Suez crisis in 1956, the key moments include victories (or defeats) both at home and abroad, plague, reform and even revolutions that have reshaped the British way of life. Each contribution brings the past to life, offering new perspectives and food for debate: did the Battle of Agincourt change England's role in Europe? What was the impact of American independence on Britain? Was 1916 more important than 1939? Thought-provoking and inspiring accounts.
£10.99
Ebury Publishing Conquistadors
The Spanish conquest of the Americas in the 16th century was one of the most important and cataclysmic events in history. Spanish expeditions endured incredible hardships in order to open up the lands of the 'New World', and few stories in history can match these for drama and endurance.In Conquistadors, Michael Wood follows in the footsteps of some of the greatest of the Spanish adventurers travelling from the forests of Amazonia to Lake Titicaca, the deserts of North Mexico, the snowpeaks of the Andes and the heights of Machu Picchu. He experiences the epic journeys of Cortes, Pizarro, Orellana and Cabeza de Vaca, and explores the turbulent and terrifying events surrounding the Spanish conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires.Wood brings these stories to vivid life, highlighting both the heroic accomplishments and the complex moral legacy of the European invasion. Conquistadors is Michael Wood at his best - thoughtful, provocative and gripping history.
£14.99
Ebury Publishing The Domesday Quest: In search of the Roots of England
In 1086, Domesday Book, perhaps the most remarkable historical document in existence, was compiled. This tremendous story of England and its people was made at the behest of the Norman king William the Conqueror. It was called Domesday, the day of judgement, because 'like the day of judgement, its decisions are unalterable'. In Search of the Roots of England is not only a study of the ancient manuscript but an attempt to analyse the world that Domesday Book so vividly portrayed. By skilful use of the Domesday record historian Michael Wood examines Norman society and the Anglo-Saxon, Roman, and even the Iron Age cultures that preceded it. 'Wood is a perceptive, entertaining and enthusiastic companion.' Sunday Times 'Wood is a lively storyteller.' Washington Post
£14.99
Penguin Books Ltd Pnin
Professor Timofey Pnin, late of Tsarist Russia, is now precariously perched at the heart of an American campus. Battling with American life and language, Pnin must face great hazards in this new world: the ruination of his beautiful lumber-room-as-office; the removal of his teeth and the fitting of new ones; the search for a suitable boarding house; and the trials of taking the wrong train to deliver a lecture in a language he has yet to master.Wry, intelligent and moving, Pnin reveals the absurd and affecting story of one man in exile.
£9.99
Mountaineers Books Alaska: A Climbing Guide
£21.99
Quercus Publishing The Crocodile and Other Stories (riverrun Editions): Dostoevsky's finest short stories in the timeless translations of Constance Garnett
'I have always been ridiculous, and I have known it, perhaps from the hour I was born'A man goes mad because he is happy.A civil servant behaves like a monster at a wedding-party.A man is swallowed by a crocodile, but not eaten nor seriously damaged.Dostoevsky's stories inhabit similarly volcanic atmospheres as his novels, places of curiosity and exception. They resemble jokes and anecdotes, told by volatile, voluble, morbidly sensitive and frustrated characters. These narrators all have a tendency to express themselves in crescendos of conflicting emotions, while the stories themselves steer clear of grand conclusions. Michael Wood's selection of Dostoevsky's shorter works is drawn from the timeless translations of Constance Garnett whose work, he says in his preface, gives readers the best of several worlds.
£12.99
Orenda Books Someone Like Her: The exquisite, heart-wrenching, eye-opening new novel from the bestselling author of No Honour
A young Pakistani woman is the victim of an unthinkable act of vengeance, when she defies convention for love, facing seemingly insurmountable challenges and danger as she attempts to rebuild her life. ‘Stunning, shocking, compulsive reading … A breathtaking masterpiece’ Hazel Prior ‘Pacy, gripping and fast-moving … I literally could not put it down!’ Edel Coffey ‘Rarely has a writer affected me so deeply. Someone Like Her is an epic story of love, power and extraordinary courage’ A.J. West –––––––––––––––––––– Multan, Pakistan. A conservative city where an unmarried woman over the age of twenty-five is considered a curse by her family. Ayesha is twenty-seven. Independent and happily single, she has evaded an arranged marriage because of her family's reduced circumstances. When she catches the eye of powerful, wealthy Raza, it seems like the answer to her parents' prayers. But Ayesha is in love with someone else, and when she refuses to give up on him, Raza resorts to unthinkable revenge… Ayesha travels to London to rebuild her life and there she meets Kamil, an emotionally damaged man who has demons of his own. They embark on a friendship that could mean salvation for both of them, but danger stalks Ayesha in London, too. With her life thrown into turmoil, she is forced to make a decision that could change her and everyone she loves forever. Exquisitely written, populated by unforgettable characters and rich with poignant, powerful themes, Someone Like Her is a story of love and family, of corruption and calamity, of courage and hope … and one woman's determination to thwart convention and find peace, at whatever cost… –––––––––––––––––––– ‘Khan brings passion and a clear eye to this compelling story of female defiance in the face of corruption and violence. If you’re a fan of Khaled Hosseini … this is for you’ Paul Waters ‘A heart-rending and compelling story. Khan treats his characters with love and respect. I couldn’t put it down’ Alice Clark-Platts ‘Breaks your heart but then gradually heals it’ Mira V Shah ‘A dark and frightening story of corruption, oppression, possession and violence yet is beautifully and sensitively written by a brave, bold author’ Michael Wood ‘Tackles deep-rooted societal issues with brutal yet touching honesty’ A.A. Chaudhuri ‘An excellent storyteller’ Soniah Kamal ‘An epic story of love, abuse and revenge … an emotional rollercoaster as Awais Khan confronts societal injustices with unflinching honesty’ Eve Smith ‘Khan lays bare the trauma of women, relegated to second-class citizenship in this compelling tale of brutality and bravery. First-class writing’ Marion Todd ‘Tender and powerful … his best yet’ Sonia Velton ‘Compelling, painful and defiant’ Elyse John ‘Arguably Khan's best work’ Pakistan Daily ‘Kept me turning the pages late into the night’ Aliya Ali-Afzal ‘A gripping and emotive story of ambition, resilience and love’ Heleen Kist ‘Insightful storytelling’ Faiqa Mansab ‘Both timely and timeless’ Saba Karim Khan
£8.99