Search results for ""epic""

***Read where it all began before watching Luther: The Fallen Sun, now on Netflix***Meet DCI John Luther in the prequel to the epic series Luther, starring Golden Globe winner Idris Elba. He's a murder detective. A near-genius. He's brilliant; he's intense; he's instinctive. He's obsessional. He's dangerous.DCI John Luther has an extraordinary clearance rate. He commands outstanding loyalty from friends and colleagues. Nobody who ever stood at his side has a bad word to say about him. And yet there are rumours that DCI Luther is bad – not corrupt, not on the take, but tormented. Luther seethes with a hidden fury that at times he can barely control. Sometimes it sends him to the brink of madness, making him do things he shouldn't; things way beyond the limits of the law.The Calling takes us into Luther's past and into his mind. It is the story of the case that tore his personal and professional relationships apart and propelled him over the precipice.Beyond fury, beyond vengeance. All the way to murder . . .Praise for The Calling: ‘Gripping, taut fiction by a new master in the genre’ Guillermo del Toro ‘Quite literally bloody brilliant’ Metro 'Cross delivers a brooding piece of back-story for fans of the character inhabited by Idris Elba on screen. However, if you’re not already a DCI Luther convert, it also serves as a good jumping off point into his tortured world' Shortlist, top 20 crime novels of the year ‘Unsettling, lyrical . . . Cross has always dealt in darkness and been so adept at conjuring bogeymen from the catacombs of mythology that you start to see them everywhere’ Guardian ‘This story shares the editing technique and visual power of the screen version . . . Unapologetic, brutal and stunning – in the very real sense of that word... Cross is an amazing writer, capable of lyricism and pathos as well as some of the most traumatising scenes you're ever likely to experience in a mainstream crime novel’ Eurocrime ‘Luther, who is intelligent and almost freakishly intuitive, thus belongs not only to the Sherlock Holmes tradition but also to the newer crime-fiction model elaborated by Thomas Harris in his novels Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal’ New York Times ‘Gripping . . . eviscerating’ Observer

Read more less

Explore the world's most famous battles by their geography as you uncover the most ancient, medieval and modern combats in history.If you're interested in finding out more about the biggest battles fought throughout the ages, then this war book is perfect for you. Battles Map by Map puts you in the seat of famous generals and commanders such as Rameses II, Napoleon, and Alexander the Great who expertly planned their attacks by studying the plains on which they would take place. So what are you waiting for? Journey back in time to learn more about wars such as the Battle of Alesia, Napoleonic Wars, and World War II and follow the geography of these epic battles in this brilliant book on the history of the world. Journey into past like never before as you explore: - 80 easy-to-follow maps showcasing the most famous battles in history- Timelines that showcase battles in chronological order, ideal for visual learners- Informative easy-to-read text explains the events of the battles- Features provide additional contextual information on key technologies, leaders, armies, and moreBursting with striking illustrations and full of fascinating detail, this history book is the ultimate gift for map lovers, military history enthusiasts, and armchair generals everywhere. Battles Map by Map takes you right to the heart of the action, where you can discover the profiles of famous commanders and military leaders and reveal the impact of groundbreaking weapons and battlefield innovations. Additionally, historic maps, paintings, photographs, and objects take you to the heart of the action whereby the impact of groundbreaking weapons and battlefield innovations is revealed. Broadcasting journalist and historian, Peter Snow, provides a foreword for this marvellous history book for adults. From ancient to modern battles, he provides context for the world's most famous wars, both won and lost. See for yourself how tactics, technology, vision, and luck have all played a part in the outcome of wars throughout history.At DK, we believe in the power of discovery.So why stop there? The Map by Map series includes other titles such as History of the World Map by Map and World War II Map by Map, each detailing historical events and placing them in the context of geography. DK's luxurious Map by Map books are fantastic history gifts, packed with fascinating facts, high-quality photography, and detailed profiles and descriptions of people and events.

Read more less

Voices from the Napoleonic Wars reveals in telling detail the harsh lives of soldiers at the turn of the eighteenth century and in the early years of the nineteenth - the poor food and brutal discipline they endured, along with the forced marches and bloody, hand-to-hand combat. Contemporaries were mesmerised by Napoleon, and with good reason: in 1812, he had an unprecedented million men and more under arms. His new model army of volunteers and conscripts at epic battles such as Austerlitz, Salamanca, Borodino, Jena and, of course, Waterloo marked the beginning of modern warfare, the road to the Sommes and Stalingrad. The citizen-in-arms of Napoleon's Grande Armée and other armies of the time gave rise to a distinct body of soldiers' personal memoirs. The personal accounts that Jon E. Lewis has selected from these memoirs, as well as from letters and diaries, include those of Rifleman Harris fighting in the Peninsular Wars, and Captain Alexander Cavalie Mercer of the Royal Horse Artillery at Waterloo. They cover the land campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars (1739-1802), the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) and the War of 1812 (1812-1815), in North America. This was the age of cavalry charges, of horse-drawn artillery, of muskets and hand-to-hand combat with sabres and bayonets. It was an era in which inspirational leadership and patriotic common cause counted for much at close quarters on chaotic and bloody battlefields. The men who wrote these accounts were directly involved in the sweeping campaigns and climactic battles that set Europe and America alight at the turn of the eighteenth century and in the years that followed. Alongside recollections of the ferocity of hard-fought battles are the equally telling details of the common soldier's daily life - short rations, forced marches in the searing heat of the Iberian summer and the bitter cold of the Russian winter, debilitating illnesses and crippling wounds, looting and the lash, but also the compensations of hard-won comradeship in the face of ever-present death. Collectively, these personal accounts give us the most vivid picture of warfare 200 and more years ago, in the evocative language of those who knew it at first hand - the men and officers of the British, French and American armies. They let us know exactly what it was like to be an infantryman, a cavalryman, an artilleryman of the time.

Read more less

Following the acclaimed Queen's Gambit, Elizabeth Fremantle brings us a new novel of intrigue and menace at the Tudor Court. . .1554: Lady Jane Grey is executed by her cousin Queen Mary... Now Lady Jane's younger sisters Katherine and Mary, cursed with the Tudor blood that saw their sister killed, face the perils of the royal court alone. Lady Katherine - young and spirited - makes dangerous romantic liaisons. While Lady Mary - crook-backed and vulnerable - becomes the Queen's reluctant companion, yet yearns to escape court intrigue. And both girls fear their proximity to the Queen might be their undoing. For the childless Queen is ill. If she should die Katherine may be pushed to power, but the Queen's half-sister Elizabeth casts a long shadow and if she gains the throne the court will become a terrifying maze of treachery and suspicion - where holding royal blood could be a death warrant for the two sisters...This sumptuous historical drama is perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory and Hilary Mantel. Through the eyes of the Grey sisters we are given an insight into the treacherous rule of the Tudor Court.Praise for Elizabeth Fremantle:'An endlessly fascinating era, and Fremantle manages to combine pacey storytelling with superb background. . .terrifically entertaining.' The Times'Fremantle is surely a major new voice in historical fiction (...) what Hilary Mantel fans should read while waiting for the final part of her trilogy' The Bookseller'A sumptuous epic' Metro'Gripping' Woman & Home'A great read. Sisters of Treason totally transports the reader to the Tudor court, with all its tensions and games' Katherine Webb, author of The Misbegotten'Electric' Good Housekeeping'Rich and enticing' Stylist'Elizabeth Fremantle brings the decadent, conniving, back-stabbing world of the 16th-century British court to brilliant life here, revealing what one woman can teach us all about the timeless art of survival'Andrea Walker, Oprah.com'Wildly entertaining' Huffington PostElizabeth Fremantle is the author of Queen's Gambit and Sisters of Treason. She holds a first in English and an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck. As a Fashion Editor she has contributed to various publications includingVogue, Elle, and Vanity Fair. Her debut novel, Queen's Gambit, was published in 2013 followed by Sisters of Treason. Her new novel, Watch the Lady, is out in June 2015.

Read more less

Bursting with beautiful photography, this alternative bucket list takes some of the world's best-known sights, experiences and destinations - everything from over-visited national parks to crowded museums - and reveals more than 100 fascinating alternatives. Planning a trip to Rome's Colosseum? Why not try the ancient amphitheatre in Nîmes instead. A visit to the Grand Canyon is on everyone's bucket list - but how about adding Namibia's spectacular Fish River Canyon to yours? And while Japan's cherry blossoms are hard to beat, the seasonal display of hydrangeas in the Azores is just as beautiful.Featuring expert advice and practical tips, Go Here Instead will open your eyes to a wealth of new, and more sustainable, travel ideas. We've organized the book by types of trip, so whether you're a wannabe art critic, an outdoor adventurer or you're into your history, this epic bucket list has an alternative adventure for you. So, why not give Machu Picchu a break and travel beyond the crowds. Go Here Instead: The Alternative Travel List is your ticket to the trip of a lifetime. Inside Go Here Instead: The Alternative Travel List you will find:- 100 entries each focusing on an alternative to a well-known destination/sight/experience - Stunning photography throughout with colour-coded maps and chapters- Stylized locator maps pinpointing the alternative sights, experiences and destinations.- A beautifully designed gift book that showcases inspiring alternatives to the world's most popular sights, experiences and destinations- Covers: Architectural and Historical Sights, Festivals and Parties, Great Journeys, Architectural Marvels, Natural Wonders, Art and Culture and Cities About DK Eyewitness: At DK Eyewitness, we believe in the power of discovery. We make it easy for you to explore your dream destinations. DK Eyewitness travel guides have been helping travellers to make the most of their breaks since 1993. DK Eyewitness travel guides have been helping travellers to make the most of their breaks since 1993. Filled with expert advice, striking photography and detailed illustrations, our highly visual DK Eyewitness guides will get you closer to your next adventure. We publish guides to more than 200 destinations, from pocket-sized city guides to comprehensive country guides. Named Top Guidebook Series at the 2020 Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards, we know that wherever you go next, your DK Eyewitness travel guides are the perfect companion.

Read more less

Let your little nature-lover take a swing through the rainforest in this conservation-themed fifth instalment of DK's new educational fiction series! Meet the Secret Explorers - a band of brainiac kids from all around the world. Everyone in this diverse group of young experts has a speciality, from outer space to dinosaurs, and each story follows a character who gets chosen for a "secret exploration". The Secret Explorers series is a reminder to kids that they are limited only by their imagination and teaches them that learning is enjoyable! But most of all, these educational books encourage children to believe that they can become experts in something they love. This edge-of-your-seat science book for kids is packed with:- Fun facts and illustrations about animals and plants found in the rainforest of Borneo- Simple and engaging explanations on how deforestation is altering our planet's biodiversity- Quizzes, mission notes, and a glossary of words with definitions- Information that support's STEM curriculum In this fun, fact-filled children's science book, we follow rainforest expert Ollie on an exciting mission to rescue a lost baby orangutan in the steamy rainforest of Borneo. Accompanied by engineering expert Kiki, they set out in a glider to search for the friendly ape.Along the way, they encounter greedy plantation owners who are plotting to destroy the forest to expand a palm oil plantation! They also learn about the threat that endangered animals and plants face due to deforestation. Kids will love turning the pages to find out if the Secret Explorers manage to succeed in their mission!It's the perfect gift for children aged 7-9 who love all things rainforest. Packed with lots of information on animal and plant life, this epic adventure book gives them a thrilling introduction to nature. Each book in the series combines exciting adventures with real-life facts related to the Secret Explorers' latest fictional mission. Complete the seriesDon't miss out on more secret explorations! Dive into an underwater adventure in The Secret Explorers and the Lost Whales. Travel back in time to save a dinosaur egg from destruction in The Secret Explorers and the Jurassic Rescue. Finally, set out on a journey to stop the Cairo Museum from closing down in The Secret Explorers and the Tomb Robbers.

Read more less

'An epic travelogue, brimming with the excitement of discovery. With characteristic panache, Venter unveils the teeming array of bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotes that crowd our planet's oceans' - Siddhartha Mukherjee'This page-turner gives . . . the thrill of seeing our planet's largest universe through the brilliant, intrepid eyes of the scientist who has done more than anyone to unlock the secrets of life' - Martine Rothblatt'A tour de force . . . Venter has expanded biology's horizons. This book explores microbial life on a global scale, providing cutting-edge solutions to problems of environmental change' - Aristides Patrinos'A ripping tale . . . to revolutionize our understanding of our bodies, the oceans, and the planet' - Jack Gilbert'An exhilarating account of how creative science is accomplished' - Sir Richard J. Roberts'[A] fascinating tour of Planet Microbe' - Bill McKibben'Venter and Duncan expand our scope of what it means to be alive' - Jamie Metzl'Inspiring ... change[s] our ideas of how biology is done' - TelegraphUpon completing his historic work on the Human Genome Project in 2002, J. Craig Venter declared that he would sequence the genetic code of all life on earth. Thus began a fifteen-year quest to collect DNA from the world's oldest and most abundant form of life: microbes. Boarding the Sorcerer II, a 100-foot sailboat turned research vessel, Venter travelled over 65,000 miles around the globe to sample ocean water and the microscopic life within.In this book, Venter and science writer David Ewing Duncan tell the remarkable story of these expeditions and of the momentous discoveries that ensued-of plant-like bacteria that get their energy from the sun, proteins that metabolize vast amounts of hydrogen, and microbes whose genes shield them from ultraviolet light. The result was a massive library of millions of unknown genes, thousands of unseen protein families, and new lineages of bacteria that revealed the unimaginable complexity of life on earth. Yet despite this exquisite diversity, Venter encountered sobering reminders of how human activity is disturbing the delicate microbial ecosystem that nurtures life on earth. In the face of unprecedented climate change, Venter and Duncan show how we can harness the microbial genome to develop alternative sources of energy, food, and medicine that might ultimately avert our destruction.A captivating story of exploration and discovery, this book restores microbes to their rightful place as crucial partners in our evolutionary past and guides to our future.

Read more less

Untested young rulers must cooperate to protect their world from the magical threat of the mysterious kingdom of Norsunder in a new epic fantasy trilogy set in the same world as the popular Inda series.Long-dormant magical forces are moving once again in Sartorias-deles. Agents of Norsunder, a mysterious bastion of incredible dark power, have reappeared in the world, amassing resources and sowing instability.But with numerous nations led by young rulers brought too early to their thrones, the world is hardly ready to defend itself. Atan is still uncomfortable with her new queenship, gained after her country was freed from a Norsundrian enchantment that left it frozen outside time for a century. Senrid strives to establish rule of law, after deposing his brutal and cruel uncle, seeking to exert control over rebellious jarls and a distrustful military academy. Jilo never expected the responsibility of leading his nation, but when its dictator vanishes after a Norsundrian attack, Jilo finds himself stepping into the power void, taking the reins of a country so riddled with dark magic that its citizenry labors for mere survival. Clair and CJ lead a band of misfits against magical threats that overshadow their tiny country, including a direct incursion from the Norsundrians.Those in power are not the only individuals working to subvert the plans of Norsunder. Liere, a young shopkeeper’s daughter, battles her own debilitating insecurities to live up to her reputation as a former savior of the realm. Hibern, a mage’s apprentice, must act as a liaison between national leaders, negotiating politics still foreign to her. Rel, a traveling warrior, stirs powerful allies to action encourages common folk to take up arms.These leaders soon realize that any significant victory against Norsunder will require an alliance between their nations. Yet good intentions may fracture in the face of personal grudges, secrets, and inexperience. As the Norsundrian attacks become bolder, the members of this tenuous alliance must find ways to trust one another and bind themselves together—lest they fail to defend against a host that has crushed entire worlds.

Read more less

Learn all about knights and castles in this spooky history-themed instalment of DK Books’ new educational fiction series for children aged 7 to 9 years old.Meet the Secret Explorers - a band of brainiac kids from all around the world, here to take young readers on a series of fact-filled fictional adventures! Each with their own specialty, from outer space to dinosaurs, these young globetrotters will teach kids that learning can be fun, encouraging them to become experts in something they love. In this fun, fact-filled children’s book, Kiki the engineering explorer and Gustavo the history expert get caught up in a spooky time travel mystery when a ghostly figure shows up at a medieval castle and terrifies the crowds!This epic adventure is packed with: -Fun facts and illustrations about exciting prehistoric animals-Simple and informative diagrams telling kids all they need to know about castles and knights-Quizzes, mission notes, and a glossary of words with definitionsWith a gripping narrative that keeps kids engaged, The Secret Explorers and the Haunted Castle by SJ King is the perfect gift for children who are into all things history. It’s written for children aged 7-9 years, with lots of information about medieval knights, castles and ghosts, to give them an exciting introduction into the world of history. At the end of this fictional book, you’ll find “Kiki’s Mission Notes” which is a summary of all the scientific facts and discoveries made throughout the story. With fun illustrations, quizzes, and a vocabulary list, the educational value of this book is outstanding for a classroom read!Never miss a mission! A total of nine different books, The Secret Explorer series is both educational and imaginative, combining exciting stories with real-life facts. Embark on another space mission adventure in The Secret Explorers and the Comet Collision. Travel back in time to save a dinosaur egg from destruction in The Secret Explorers and the Jurassic Rescue. Take part in a volcano rescue in The Secret Explorers and the Smoking Volcano. Then travel to the arctic for a rescue mission in Secret Explorers and the Missing Scientist.Whatever your preferred topic, there’s a mission waiting for you!

Read more less

“The Gimmicks is a gorgeous epic that astounds with its scope and beauty. With empathy and humor, McCormick unravels the ties between brotherhood and betrayal, love and abandonment, and the fictions we create to live with the pain of the past. This novel will blow you away.”—Brit Bennett, New York Times bestselling author of The MothersSet in the waning years of the Cold War, a stunning debut novel about a trio of young Armenians that moves from the Soviet Union, across Europe, to Southern California, and at its center, one of the most tragic cataclysms in twentieth-century history—the Armenian Genocide—whose traumatic reverberations will have unexpected consequences on all three lives.This exuberant, wholly original novel begins in Kirovakan, Armenia, in 1971. Ruben Petrosian is a serious, solitary young man who cares about two things: mastering the game of backgammon to beat his archrival, Mina, and studying the history of his ancestors. Ruben grieves the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, a crime still denied by the descendants of its perpetrators, and dreams of vengeance.When his orphaned cousin, Avo, comes to live with his family, Ruben’s life is transformed. Gregarious and physically enormous, with a distinct unibrow that becomes his signature, Avo is instantly beloved. He is everything Ruben is not, yet the two form a bond they swear never to break.But their paths diverge when Ruben vanishes—drafted into an extremist group that will stop at nothing to make Turkey acknowledge the genocide. Unmoored by Ruben’s disappearance, Avo and Mina grow close in his absence. But fate brings the cousins together once more, when Ruben secretly contacts Avo, convincing him to leave Mina and join the extremists—a choice that will dramatically alter the course of their lives.Left to unravel the threads of this story is Terry “Angel Hair” Krill, a veteran of both the US Navy and the funhouse world of professional wrestling, whose life intersects with Avo, Ruben, and Mina’s in surprising and devastating ways. Told through alternating perspectives, The Gimmicks is a masterpiece of storytelling. Chris McCormick brilliantly illuminates the impact of history and injustice on ordinary lives and challenges us to confront the spectacle of violence and the specter of its aftermath.

Read more less

Ferdinand Mount has been fascinated by the great thinkers and politicians who have shaped human history over the past two millennia In this fascinating, and provocative book, he examines the proposals for a political theory from a number of widely different historical figures. Twelve key people, from the great orator and statesman of Ancient Greece (Pericles) to the inspiration of the founding of the state of Pakistan (Muhammad Iqbal) we take a colourful and rip-roaring journey through the historical figures who have both inspired and provoked Mount in equal measure. The lives of men such as Jesus Christ, Rousseau, Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, and Thomas Jefferson are discussed and comparisons are drawn between the various approaches each figure promoted in their works – whether philosophical, or political theories. For those wishing to be guided by Mount’s choices and be swept along by his brilliantly erudite prose, this will be a particular enjoyable read. Lots of colour, humour and passion governed all these people careers and Mount brings them to life like no one else can.Praise for the international-bestselling Tears of the Rajas:-'Mount is a skilled and fluent writer who does his subject justice' --Literary Review'Mount relates this remarkable story with a gentle wit, a lightness of touch, a boyish enthusiasm as well as a genius for the telling pen-portrait… It is a remarkable story, and cumulatively amounts to an epic panorama of British Indian history much more substantial than the 'collection of Indian tales, a human jungle book', which Mount modestly describes as his aim in the introduction.' --William Dalrymple, The Spectator'What [Mount] provides instead is of far greater value: a perceptive antidote to nationalistic prejudicial thinking, and an opportunity for a greater understanding of the aftereffects of British imperialism in some of the world's most troubled regions.' Sunday Times'Although Tears of the Rajas is replete with stirring tales of adventure, it is a deeply humane book. Mount's heart is at all times with the people of India, whose lives are turned upside down by blundering attempts at modernisation.' The Times

Read more less

Magnificent art complements an unvarnished history of the Statue of Liberty and its relationship to immigration policy in the United States throughout the years. What began in 1865 in Glatigny, France, at a dinner party hosted by esteemed university professor Édouard René de Laboulaye and attended by, among others, a promising young sculptor, Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, was the extravagant notion of creating and giving a monumental statue to America that celebrated the young nation’s ideals. Bartholdi, and later civil engineer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, caught the spirit of the project and thus began the epic struggle to create, build, transport, and pay for the monument. Although The Statue of Liberty was to be a gift from France, the cost of its creation was meant to be shared with America. To the Lady’s creators and supporters, America offered liberty and the right to live one’s life unencumbered—that is, without fear and with a rule of law and a government that derived its power from the consent of the people it governed. Yet, in America, fundraising for the Lady dragged. Had it not been for publisher Joseph Pulitzer’s flashy fundraising campaign in his newspaper the World, the entire project likely would have collapsed. The tale, abundant with lively and interesting stories about the Statue of Liberty’s creators, is also told in the context of America’s immigration policies—past and present. Explored, too, is the American immigrant experience and how it viscerally connects to the Lady. Also integral to the tale is poetry—a sonnet—written by a then–largely unknown Jewish poet, Emma Lazarus, who moved a nation and gave a deeply rich and fresh meaning and purpose to the statue. In addition to the prose, Lady Liberty includes thirty-three elegant, full-page stirring paintings by celebrated artist Antonio Masi. Lady Liberty, a smart, timely, entertaining, and nonpartisan jewel of a book, is written for every American—young and old. Lady Liberty also speaks to the millions who dream of one day becoming Americans. Dim and Masi offer this book now because the Statue of Liberty, as a symbol of American beneficence, has never been more relevant . . . or more in jeopardy.

Read more less

Learn about the rise of Adolf Hitler, Pearl Harbour and the D-Day Landings in The WWII Book.Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about World War 2 in this overview guide to the subject, great for beginners looking to learn and war experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The WWII Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse yourself in. This captivating book will broaden your understanding of World War 2, with:- More than 100 ground-breaking ideas on the Second World War- Packed with facts, charts, timelines and graphs to help explain core concepts- A visual approach to big subjects with striking illustrations and graphics throughout- Easy to follow text makes topics accessible for people at any level of understandingThe World War II Book is the perfect introduction to the biggest war in history, aimed at adults with an interest in the subject, and politics and history students wanting to gain more of an overview. Here you’ll discover more than 90 of the key ideas and events during and surrounding the conflict, through exciting text and bold graphics. If you’ve ever wanted to know the crucial events of World War 2 and the people behind them, this is the perfect book for you.Your World War 2 Questions, Simply ExplainedDiscover the key battles, tactics, technologies and turning points of the Second World War – the epic conflict that shaped the modern world. If you thought it was difficult to learn about the many events and key figures of World War 2, The WWII Book presents vital information in a clear layout. From Fascism in the 1930s to Pearl Harbor, Hitler and Nazi Germany to the bombing of Hiroshima - fantastic mind maps and step-by-step summaries will teach you all the main concepts. The Big Ideas SeriesWith millions of copies sold worldwide, The WWII Book is part of the award-winning Big Ideas series from DK. The series uses striking graphics along with engaging writing, making big topics easy to understand.

Read more less

Fantastic world-building meets spellbinding storytelling in this must-read fan-favourite from Esslemont. Ideal for fans of Steven Erikson, David Gemmell and Brandon Sanderson.'Esslemont's best yet' - FANTASYBOOK REVIEW'The Malazan franchise is fighting fit in the hand of its co-creator' - SFX'His best novel so far.' - ***** Reader Review'Just gets better and better with each book. Love it.' - ***** Reader Review********************************************************A BITTER WILDERNESS. A BITTER CONFLICT.On the continent of Jacuruku, the Thaumaturgs have mounted another expedition into the neighbouring wild jungle. Yet this is no normal wilderness. It is called Himatan, half of the spirit-realm and half of the physical, ruled by a powerful entity who some name the Queen of Witches and some a goddess: the ancient Ardata.Saeng grew up knowing only the rule of the magus Thaumaturgs - but it was the voices from that land's forgotten past that she listened to. And when her rulers launch their invasion of this jungle, those voices send her and her brother on a desperate mission.To the south, the desert tribes are united by the arrival of a foreign warleader, a veteran commander in battered ashen mail men call the Grey Ghost. This warrior leads these tribes on a raid unlike any other, deep into the heart of Thaumaturg lands.While word comes to K'azz, and mercenary company the Crimson Guard, of a contract in Jacuruku.And their employer? Could it be the goddess herself...********************************************************Further praise for Esslemont's Malazan series:'Everything you expect of a Malazan story, being both epic and relevant... nail-biting and anything but obvious.' - SFF WORLD'Terrific... impossible to put down and highly recommended for all fans of The Malazan Book of the Fallen.' - FANTASY HOTLIST'Hugely promising... a contained, concise romp that's also dense with fan-pleasing information... an entertaining romp.' - DEATHRAY'Maybe I'm prejudiced since I love the Malazan books so much, but I had a blast reading Night of Knives... I highly recommend it to anyone.' - FANTASY BOOKCRITIC'Esslemont handles action and brooding atmosphere equally well.' - STARBURST'Extremely readable... All credit to Esslemont and Erikson. They have created a wonderfully energetic world that is just crying out for adventures.' - ETERNAL NIGHT

Read more less

Christina Rossetti's poetry and prose, written in 19th-century England, deals with the human fixation on appearance. Her belief in the Tractarian precepts of the Oxford Movement, primarily expostulated by John Keble and John Newman, transformed Rossetti's outlook on perception. Her association with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood also influenced her obsession with sight and insight. The focus of Melanie Hanson's study is the re-envisionment of Christina Rossetti's poetry and prose from three theoretical perspectives: deconstructionist theory, feminist literary theory, and Marxist literary criticism. The first part of her book explores Christina Rossetti's fascination with Plato's eye of the mind in The Allegory of the Cave. Rossetti believed that the physical eyes must be shut so that the eye of the mind could be wide open, creating in-sight. She connected the eye of the mind to her Tractarian religious beliefs. In her writings, the 'eye of the mind also relates to Eastern religious philosophy. The 'eye of the mind sees an alternate perception of reality. Rossetti was not only obsessed with the gaze and the object of the gaze in her writing, but she also re-fashioned John Milton's Eve from Paradise Lost into her own vision of Eve and the creation cycle in Rossetti's poetry and prose. Part 2 asserts that the author, Melanie Hanson, believes Rossetti's re-envisionment of the figure of Eve in Rossetti's writing contributes to the emergence of feminist literary criticism in the 20th century. Although Christina Rossetti was not a feminist, her poetry and prose have been examined by post-modern feminists concerning psychoanalytic and historic issues. Rossetti's envisionment of the consumed consumer is the subject of part 3, in which Marxist literary theory is used to examine Rossetti's epic poem Goblin Market. Previous literary criticism discussions concerning Rossetti's poetic and prose observations on the eye lack a concentrated examination of Rossetti's interest in Plato, especially Plato's eye of the mind, and Plato's influence on Rossetti. Hanson's book addresses this ground-breaking area of study. Her book is aimed at Christina Rossetti scholars and English Victorian literature aficionados who wish to explore Rossetti's contribution to the literary canon from new angles in literary criticism.

Read more less

Two Depression-battered nations confronted destiny in 1932, going to the polls in their own way to anoint new leaders, to rescue their people from starvation and hopelessness. America would elect a Congress and a president—ebullient aristocrat Franklin Roosevelt or tarnished “Wonder Boy” Herbert Hoover. Decadent, divided Weimar Germany faced two rounds of bloody Reichstag elections and two presidential contests—doddering reactionary Paul von Hindenburg against rising radical hate-monger Adolf Hitler. The outcome seemed foreordained—unstoppable forces advancing upon crumbled, disoriented societies. A merciless Great Depression brought greater—perhaps hopeful, perhaps deadly—transformation: FDR’s New Deal and Hitler’s Third Reich. But neither outcome was inevitable. Readers enter the fray through David Pietrusza’s page-turning account: Roosevelt’s fellow Democrats may yet halt him at a deadlocked convention. 1928’s Democratic nominee, Al Smith, harbors a grudge against his one-time protege. Press baron William Randolph Hearst lays his own plans to block Roosevelt’s ascent to the White House. FDR’s politically-inspired juggling of a New York City scandal threatens his juggernaut. In Germany, the Nazis surge at the polls but twice fall short of Reichstag majorities. Hitler, tasting power after a lifetime of failure and obscurity, falls to Hindenburg for the presidency—also twice within the year. Cabals and counter-cabals plot. Secrets of love and suicide haunt Hitler. Yet guile and ambition may yet still prevail. 1932’s breathtaking narrative covers two epic stories that possess haunting parallels to today’s crisis-filled vortex. It is an all-too-human tale of scapegoats and panaceas, class warfare and racial politics, of a seemingly bottomless depression, of massive unemployment and hardship, of unprecedented public works/infrastructure programs, of business stimulus programs and damaging allegations of political cronyism, of waves of bank failures and of mortgages foreclosed, of Washington bonus marches and Berlin street fights, of once-solid financial empires collapsing seemingly overnight, of rapidly shifting social mores, and of mountains of irresponsible international debt threatening to crash not just mere nations but the entire global economy. It is the tale of spell-binding leaders versus bland businessmen and out-of-touch upper-class elites and of two nations inching to safety but lurching toward disaster. It is 1932’s nightmare—with lessons for today.

Read more less

'The Night We Met will warm and break your heart in equal measure, and make you laugh out loud and sob quietly. A lovely gem' Heat 'Beautifully written, utterly heartbreaking. An epic love story' Paige Toon, author of The Minute I Saw You 'I know this gorgeous love story will stay with me for a long time. Amazing' Lorraine Brown, author of Uncoupling As a man holds his wife's fragile hand, he recounts a journey like no other... Daniel and Olivia are destined to be together. At least, Daniel thinks this the night he sees Olivia across a sea of people. As he backpacks through Australia, Daniel and Liv continue to cross paths, yet never speak. Until one night, Liv joins Daniel for a drink. And that night everything changes. Back in London, stuck in a monotonous routine, Daniel finds himself daydreaming of the woman with amber eyes and fiery hair. Armed with only a name he vows to find her, yet with every passing moment, Daniel's hopes begin to disappear. What if it wasn't meant to be? But then fate steps in, and Daniel and Olivia's story can truly begin... This is a tale of serendipity, missed chances and the power of love. Readers LOVE The Night We Met! 'A beautifully wrought novel, exhilarating and devastating in equal measure, and filled with passion, warmth and humour' 'A testament to love' 'A wonderful, well-written story!' 'A book about looking back on life, about love and our reactions to it' 'Zoë Folbigg writes a story like no other. This romantic story leaves you wanting more and looking for your own Daniel' 'A really beautifully written book which explores the love story between two people spanning years' 'I loved the characters, the setting and the amazing journey the book took me on' Praise for Zoë Folbigg's The Note: 'A laugh-out-loud, tears-in-your-coffee story' OK! magazine 'A life-affirming, uplifting reminder that taking a chance can change everything' Woman's Weekly 'Maya and James are appealing characters and I love the idea that all you really need is the courage to pursue someone' Daily Mail 'Light and romantic... Classic beach reading' Cosmo

Read more less

You've read the myths, now discover what really happened! In this powerful historical adventure set in Ancient Greece, the Argonauts take on mighty Troy, witness the strange skills of Circe, and encounter the unfortunate Sirens. Jason is the second novel in the breathtaking Blades of Bronze series, perfect for fans of Christian Cameron and Madeline Miller. They may have won the prize, but will any of them make it home alive? Jason has fulfilled the mission set him by his scheming uncle, King Pelias of Iolkos: he and the Argonauts have won the fabled Golden Fleece of Colchis. Jason dreams of glory – of taking his uncle's throne, rightfully his – and, like his warrior shipmates, of home. But it is not only Pelias who wishes Jason ill. Before the Argonauts can make it back to Iolkos, they must contend with a legion of foes who would see them dead – and a web of allies who are not quite what they seem. Jason and his warriors must outwit the recondite Circe and the spies of mighty Troy, overcome hostile tribes beyond the Danube, and sail the troubled waters of the Archipelagos, where the Sirens wait to snare unwary seafarers. Yet Jason's perils are only beginning, for he will soon discover that a truer evil lies closer to home... 'A bold and thrilling voyage that plunges you deep into the world of ancient myth with every stroke of Jason's oar. Knowles's storytelling captured my imagination from the very first page. It is wonderfully atmospheric' Daisy Dunn, editor of ARGO: A Hellenic Review, and author of Of Gods and Men: 100 Stories from Ancient Greece & Rome PRAISE FOR THE BLADES OF BRONZE SERIES AND MARK KNOWLES 'Mark Knowles has taken the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece, and stripped it down to its bare bones... Epic battles, well-rounded characters sailing through a brilliantly described world' Adam Lofthouse 'What a spectacular triumph! Knowles has taken a reassuringly familiar legend and elevated it into a new, realistic and engrossing story' Sam Taw 'Knowles has combined historical realities with sure-footed imagination... brilliant' Dr Paul Millett '[Knowles] has teamed his love of learning classics and childhood love of sword-and-sandals epics to accomplish something remarkable' Boarding Schools' Association

Read more less

See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with the Netflix series, Shadow and Bone -- Season 2 premiering March 16, 2023! Discover the origin story of the Darkling in this beautifully illustrated, first-ever Grishaverse graphic novel.Before he led Ravka's Second Army, before he created the Fold, and long before he became the Darkling, he was just a lonely boy burdened by an extraordinary power. Eryk and his mother, Lena, have spent their lives on the run. But they will never find a safe haven. They are not only Grisha - they are the deadliest and rarest of their kind. Feared by those who wish to destroy them and hunted by those who would exploit their gifts, they must hide their true abilities wherever they go. But sometimes deadly secrets have a way of revealing themselves . . .Discover the start of a grand and sinister destiny in this must-have graphic novel prequel to the bestselling series and international Netflix sensation Shadow and Bone from spectacular new talent Dani Pendergast and No.1 New York Times bestseller Leigh Bardugo.Read all the books in the Grishaverse!The Shadow and Bone Trilogy Shadow and Bone Siege and Storm Ruin and Rising The Six of Crows Duology Six of Crows Crooked Kingdom The King of Scars Duology King of Scars Rule of WolvesThe Anthologies The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous MagicThe Lives of SaintsPraise for the Grishaverse "A master of fantasy." - The Huffington Post "Utterly, extremely bewitching." - The Guardian "The best magic universe since Harry Potter." - Bustle "This is what fantasy is for." - The New York Times Book Review "[A] world that feels real enough to have its own passport stamp." - NPR "The darker it gets for the good guys, the better." - Entertainment Weekly "Sultry, sweeping and picturesque. . . Impossible to put down." - USA Today "There's a level of emotional and historical sophistication within Bardugo's original epic fantasy that sets it apart." - Vanity Fair "Unlike anything I've ever read." - Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent "Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery!" - Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series

Read more less

From the creator of Netflix original series Dead End: Paranormal Park comes the graphic novel series that started it all! “DeadEndia is immediately appealing with its colorful art, unique setting, and funny jokes, but I especially loved the complicated emotional arcs of the characters and the weird, spooky magic underlying everything!” —Molly Knox Ostertag, creator of The Witch Boy “Heart-warming, heartbreaking, heart-pounding, and heartfelt!" —Marika McCoola, The New York Times bestselling author of Baba Yaga’s Assistant Norma Khan has been split in two . . . literally! Dead End, the haunted hotel attraction at Phoenix Parks, has been rebuilt following the epic destruction that occurred there when Norma and her friends Barney and Pugsley saved the world. Unfortunately, Norma can’t keep herself together as a result. Not only is her friendship with Barney on the rocks, but she can’t seem to keep her own ghost inside her body. When Norma feels like she’s about to lose it all, her irksome friend and demon, Courtney, steps in to provide some unexpected support—though they are battling their own issues with identity and sense of belonging. Meanwhile, Barney can’t face going back to Phoenix Parks and is mourning the loss of his beloved friend Pugsley. When his boyfriend, Logan, urges him to get a job, an opportunity from the demon planes comes knocking, and soon Barney is climbing the ladder of success in the Demon Wrestling Federation. Barney’s glory in the ring quickly comes crashing down when the friends discover they’ve stepped into an eons old battle between the demons and the angels. Can they keep their relationships and sense of self intact while doing battle with the forces of good AND evil?Part workplace comedy, part supernatural horror adventure, with a splash of LGBTQ+ romance, The Broken Halo is perfect for fans of author Hamish Steele’s TV series Dead End: Paranormal Park who are in search of more adventures, for graphic novel lovers who want more diversity in their reads, or for anyone who has finished The Watcher’s Test and is ready for the next entry in the zany, creative, and laugh-out-loud funny world of DeadEndia.

Read more less

"In The Conquest of a Continent, the historian W. Bruce Lincoln details Siberia's role in Russian history, one remarkably similar to that of the frontier in the development of the United States.... It is a big, panoramic book, in keeping with the immensity of its subject."—Chicago Tribune"Lincoln is a compelling writer whose chapters are colorful snapshots of Siberia's past and present.... The Conquest of a Continent is a vivid narrative that will inform and entertain the broader reading public."—American Historical Review"This story includes Genghis Khan, who sent the Mongols warring into Russia; Ivan the Terrible, who conquered Siberia for Russia; Peter the Great, who supported scientific expeditions and mining enterprises; and Mikhail Gorbachev, whose glasnost policy prompted a new sense of 'Siberian' nationalism. It is also the story of millions of souls who themselves were conquered by Siberia.... Vast riches and great misery, often intertwined, mark this region."—The Wall Street JournalStretching from the Urals to the Arctic Ocean to China, Siberia is so vast that the continental United States and Western Europe could be fitted into its borders, with land to spare. Yet, in only six decades, Russian trappers, cossacks, and adventurers crossed this huge territory, beginning in the 1580s a process of conquest that continues to this day. As rich in resources as it was large in size, Siberia brought the Russians a sixth of the world's gold and silver, a fifth of its platinum, a third of its iron, and a quarter of its timber. The conquest of Siberia allowed Russia to build the modern world's largest empire, and Siberia's vast natural wealth continues to play a vital part in determining Russia's place in international affairs.Bleak yet romantic, Siberia's history comes to life in W. Bruce Lincoln's epic telling. The Conquest of a Continent, first published in 1993, stands as the most comprehensive and vivid account of the Russians in Siberia, from their first victories over the Mongol Khans to the environmental degradation of the twentieth century. Dynasties of incomparable wealth, such as the Stroganovs, figure into the story, as do explorers, natives, gold seekers, and the thousands of men and women sentenced to penal servitude or forced labor in Russia's great wilderness prisonhouse.

Read more less

This third and final part of the narrative starts with the bitter fighting over Italy, where the Geschwaderstab together with I. and III./JG 53 had to face overwhelming odds in their struggle over both the front lines at Cassino and Anzio/Nettuno bridghead, and over northern Italy. I./JG 53 was later moved to Romania in order to protect the vital oilfields and refineries around Ploesti and later saw further action in Hungary, where it was to take part in the fierce fighting on the southeastern part of the Russian Front in the fall of 1944 and early 1945, eventually retreating into Czechoslovakia and Austria before it was finally disbanded in April 1945 – its remnants amalgamated into II./JG 52. II./JG 53, withdrew from Italy in October 1943, and was the first Gruppe of the Geschwader to be employed on home defense operations, being stationed near Vienna from October 1943 to March 1944 before moving to southwestern Germany, and was the only Gruppe of JG 53 to see action against the Allied invasion forces in the summer of 1944. III./JG 53 also returned from Italy in June 1944 and after a short period of rest and refit was active in the defense of the Reich. When the Allies launched Operation Market Garden both II. and III./JG 53 were called upon to take part in defensive actions. Autumn of 1944 also saw the addition of a fourth Gruppe to the Geschwader with Stab, II., III., IV./JG 53 based along the southwestern sector of the Western Front. For the remainder of the war the Geschwader – minus I. Gruppe – stayed in the southwest where it fought on until the end, retreating deep into southern Germany where the majority of the Gruppen and Staffen were finally disbanded a few days before VE-Day. This final volume of the epic saga of JG 53 concludes with a list of the officers in command of the Geschwader, its Gruppen and Staffeln, a listing of all known victories claimed by JG 53, strength returns, and other appendices.

Read more less

This third and final part of the narrative starts with the bitter fighting over Italy, where the Geschwaderstab together with I. and III./JG 53 had to face overwhelming odds in their struggle over both the front lines at Cassino and Anzio/Nettuno bridghead, and over northern Italy. I./JG 53 was later moved to Romania in order to protect the vital oilfields and refineries around Ploesti and later saw further action in Hungary, where it was to take part in the fierce fighting on the southeastern part of the Russian Front in the fall of 1944 and early 1945, eventually retreating into Czechoslovakia and Austria before it was finally disbanded in April 1945 – its remnants amalgamated into II./JG 52. II./JG 53, withdrew from Italy in October 1943, and was the first Gruppe of the Geschwader to be employed on home defense operations, being stationed near Vienna from October 1943 to March 1944 before moving to southwestern Germany, and was the only Gruppe of JG 53 to see action against the Allied invasion forces in the summer of 1944. III./JG 53 also returned from Italy in June 1944 and after a short period of rest and refit was active in the defense of the Reich. When the Allies launched Operation Market Garden both II. and III./JG 53 were called upon to take part in defensive actions. Autumn of 1944 also saw the addition of a fourth Gruppe to the Geschwader with Stab, II., III., IV./JG 53 based along the southwestern sector of the Western Front. For the remainder of the war the Geschwader – minus I. Gruppe – stayed in the southwest where it fought on until the end, retreating deep into southern Germany where the majority of the Gruppen and Staffen were finally disbanded a few days before VE-Day. This final volume of the epic saga of JG 53 concludes with a list of the officers in command of the Geschwader, its Gruppen and Staffeln, a listing of all known victories claimed by JG 53, strength returns, and other appendices.

Read more less

A look at 100 inspiring novels that have left a significant mark on the world of literature and popular culture. Before the novel, the world of books was dominated by scientific tomes, religious tracts and histories of the victorious in war. There had been stories and epic poems from ancient times – Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey recounted ancient Greece, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was a chivalric romance in Middle English, but it was not until the seventeenth century, when the European middle classes had money and leisure, that anything so frivolous as a novel could be sold for entertainment. Colin Salter traces the evolution of the novel from the earliest examples through to the postmodernist best-sellers of the 21st century. Rather than dwelling too long on the technical nuances of innovative writing style he has amassed 100 of the greatest novel writers and chosen their most significant work. For writers such as Herman Melville, James Joyce or Harper Lee the decision is not a difficult one. For Charles Dickens, Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood, the choice is perhaps more difficult. Following the style set with previous books in the 100 series, most notably 100 Children’s Books and 100 Science Discoveries, each author is given a concise biography and their major novel analysed and then set in context with their other published work. Readers can become ridiculously well-read in 224 pages. Authors included: Alexandre Dumas, Daniel Defoe, Victor Hugo, Mary Shelly, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Hilary Mantel, Jane Austen, Robert Louis Stevenson, Walter Scott, Lewis Carroll, JRR Tolkien, Gustave Flaubert, Marcel Proust, Henry James, Harper Lee, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Margaret Atwood, Alice Walker, Jules Verne, HG Wells, Virginia Woolf, Leo Tolstoy, Louisa M. Alcott, Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, John Steinbeck, CS Lewis, Chinua Achebe, Jack Kerouac, John Le Carre, Arundhati Roy, Mila Kundera, Joseph Heller, JD Salinger, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Miguel Cervantes, Graham Greene, F. Scott Fitzgerald, George Orwell, John Steinbeck, Evelyn Waugh, Robert Graves, Daphne du Maurier, Agatha Christie, PG Wodehouse, Raymond Chandler, Hunter S. Thompson, Khaled Hosseini.

Read more less

For the first time ever, a beautiful slipcased edition of the forerunner to The Lord of the Rings, illustrated throughout in colour by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, with the complete text printed in two colours and with many bonus features unique to this edition. The Silmarilli were three perfect jewels, fashioned by Fëanor, most gifted of the Elves, and within them was imprisoned the last Light of the Two Trees of Valinor. But the first Dark Lord, Morgoth, stole the jewels and set them within his iron crown, guarded in the impenetrable fortress of Angband in the north of Middle-earth. The Silmarillion is the history of the rebellion of Fëanor and his kindred against the gods, their exile from Valinor and return to Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all the heroism, against the great Enemy. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took part. The book also includes several shorter works: the Ainulindalë, a myth of the Creation, and the Valaquenta, in which the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabêth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age, and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age, as narrated in The Lord of the Rings. This deluxe slipcased edition contains the complete text, which is printed in two colours and features, for the very first time, more than 50 colour paintings, illustrations and designs drawn by J.R.R. Tolkien himself as he composed this epic work. Unique to this edition are two poster-size, fold-out maps revealing all the detail of Beleriand as the tales grew, an illustrated booklet featuring ‘A Brief Account of The Silmarillion and its Making’ by Christopher Tolkien, and a printed art card reproducing ‘Taniquetil’. It is additionally quarterbound in blue leather, with raised ribs on the spine, stamped in three foils on black cloth boards, and housed in a custom-built clothbound slipcase. The pages are edged in silver and include a ribbon marker.

Read more less

NOW A NO.1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Michael Mann, Oscar-nominated filmmaker and writer-director of Heat and Miami Vice, teams up with Meg Gardiner to deliver Mann’s first crime novel, an explosive return to the world and characters of his classic film Heat – an all-new story that illuminates what happened before and after the film. A Times Book of the Year 2022 ‘Michael Mann’s HEAT is one of my all-time favourite movies. HEAT 2 is now one of my favourite suspense novels’ JAMES PATTERSON Described by Michael Mann as both a prequel and sequel to the renowned, critically acclaimed film of the same name, HEAT 2 covers the formative years of homicide detective Vincent Hanna (Oscar winner Al Pacino) and elite criminals Neil McCauley (Oscar winner Robert De Niro), Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer), and Nate (Oscar winner Jon Voight), and features the same extraordinary ambition, scope, rich characterizations, and attention to detail as the epic film. This new story leads up to the events of the film and then moves beyond it, featuring new characters on both sides of the law, new high-line heists, and breathtakingly cinematic action sequences. Ranging from the streets of L.A. to the inner sancta of rival Taiwanese crime syndicates in Paraguay to a massive drug cartel money-laundering operation just over the border in Mexico, HEAT 2 illuminates the dangerous workings of international crime organizations and the agents who pursue them as it provides a full-blooded portrait of the men and women who inhabit both worlds. Operatic in scope, HEAT 2 is engrossing, moving, and tragic – a masterpiece of crime fiction from one of the most innovative and influential filmmakers in American cinema. PRAISE FOR HEAT 2:‘Sweep, self-confidence and a cinematic sheen make this the most immersive of reads’The Times ‘A brilliant and riveting novel with rich and real characters and powerhouse storytelling…’Don Winslow ‘An exciting, emotionally rich thriller, with just as much style and panache as Michael Mann's original classic heist movie’Adrian McKinty, #1 International bestselling author ‘Easily one of the finest novels of the year!’Steve Cavanagh, #1 International bestselling author

Read more less

'A modern-day love story with an old-fashioned warmth' Debbie Johnson'A wonderful, witty, romantic rollercoaster of a novel' Matt DunnWhen it comes to love, sometimes timing isn't so easy. . . ___________________________For Jess and Tom, timing is everything.For her, it's the moment she delivers the perfect punchline. For him, it's the heartbeat in the music he makes with his band.And from the night they meet, sharing the same stage at the Edinburgh Festival, their attraction is undeniable. At first, it seems their timing is as perfect in the wings as it is in front of a crowd.But as Jess and Tom's careers take off, the moment for true connection is always just out of reach. With fate pushing them together, only to pull them apart, will the timing ever be right?After all, when it comes to love, the timing has to be perfect. . . Doesn't it?Owen Nicholls' glorious new novel is perfect for fans of will -they-won't-they love stories, romantic comedies and Josie Silver.___________________________Praise for PERFECT TIMING . . .'Smart, funny and moving' Debbie Johnson'Modern romance at its absolute best' Hannah Tovey'An epic-scale romcom, full of heart, humour, brilliant characters... Massively recommend' Tom Ellen'A wonderfully written will-they won't-they... Loved it!' Emily HoughtonPraise for Owen Nicholls . . .'A complete delight' Holly Bourne'Sometimes a book comes along and it feels dusted with magic - Love, Unscripted is one of those books' Josie Silver on Love, Unscripted'A fun, entertaining story with bags of heart - the book equivalent of a classic rom-com' CultureFly on Love, Unscripted'An unmissable, multi-layered read' Woman & Home on Love, Unscripted'Cute romcom full of cinematic references' The Sun (Fabulous Magazine) on Love, Unscripted'A nostalgic read for fans of Nick Hornby and David Nicholls . . . [a] smart funny novel' Heat on Love, Unscripted'A gorgeous romcom filled with movie references and Obama-era nostalgia' Kate Davies, author of In At The Deep End on Love, Unscripted'Smartly observed romcom . . . bursting with some very cute cultural references' Sunday Mirror on Love, Unscripted'Nicholls shows a lovely lightness of touch in this enjoyable debut' iPaper on Love, Unscripted

Read more less

The epic of Dunkirk has been told many times, but the numerous accounts from surviving soldiers and sailors were often a blur of fear and fighting with the days mingling into each other, leaving what is, at times, a confusing picture. In this book, adopting a day by day approach, the author provides a clear portrayal of the unfolding drama on the perimeter around Dunkirk, in the port itself and along the beaches to La Panne and the Belgian border. Reports from many of the captains of the vessels which took part in the great evacuation were submitted to the Admiralty immediately after the conclusion of Operation Dynamo. With access to these, and supported by the various records maintained by the Army and RAF, the author has been able to finally piece together the movements and actions of the many of the squadrons, units and ships involved. With the Admiralty reports and a mass of other first-hand accounts, many of which have never been published before, the true tale of the heroism of the rescued and the rescuers is laid bare. Operation Dynamo saw civilian volunteers and Royal Navy personnel manning every type of craft from the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Calcutta to the cockle boats of the Thames Estuary. The accounts of the men who crewed these vessels tell of being bombed and strafed by the Luftwaffe or shelled from the shore. There are stories of collisions in the dark, chaos on the beaches and tragic losses as ships went down. Similar tales are told by the men waiting on the beaches, defending the perimeter or flying in the skies overhead in a valiant effort to hold the German Army and Luftwaffe at bay. Yet this is ultimately a story, as Churchill described it, of ‘deliverance’, for against all the predictions, the BEF was saved to fight again another day. With civilians and servicemen working without respite for days and nights on end under almost continual attack to rescue the army, the nation pulled together as never before. It truly was Britain’s finest hour.

Read more less

The year 1066 is a date in English history that changed the way people lived and were governed, as well as transforming the language of the land. Astonishingly, this book finds the traditional site attracting many thousands of visitors each year is not where the battle was actually fought. The death of King Edward the Confessor in January 1066 set off competing claims for the English throne by Norwegian King Harald Hardrada, Duke William of Normandy and the English magnate, Harold Godwinson; contentions finally settled at the epic Battle of Hastings later that year. This book tells the compelling story, from the Norman duke's crossing with an army, that included a large cavalry contingent, in a fleet of Viking looking longboats from St Valery on the French coast, to the final battle, the Battle of Hastings, on Blackhorse Hill on the high ridge some two miles east of the traditional site at Battle Abbey. It was there that King Harold met his end when surrounded and attacked by Norman knights in the closing stages of the battle. In addition, the story from the Viking invasion of Lindisfarne until William's crossing of the Channel and events leading up to William's death have been included to provide context to our main story. The sequence of events told here relies upon the several historic accounts and the placing of events, carefully matching them to the terrain described there with the topography of the area, a painstaking process of trial and error, to accurately place the battle site on Blackhorse Hill. The author has made use of satellite imagery, not previously available to earlier authors on the battle, to confirm the location of the old Cinque port of Hastings (first proposed by Nick Austin in his Secrets of the Norman Invasion), the site of Duke Williams's pre-battle camp. The author has analysed the relative distances from the old port to the Battle Abbey site and the Blackhorse Hill site to eliminate the former and confirm the latter. As far as is known, no-one has ever considered the Blackhorse Hill site before and it is hoped that this will inspire researchers to expand upon these findings.

Read more less

Discover the daring life story and astonishing adventures of Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown - Britain's greatest-ever pilotSmall in stature but immense in reputation and talent, there was more to Eric 'Winkle' Brown than met the eye.From shooting down Luftwaffe bombers from the deck of a carrier in the Battle of the Atlantic and narrowly escaping death when his ship was torpedoed, to accumulating a never-to-be repeated litany of world records and firsts as a test pilot, his unparalleled flying career saw him take the controls of over four hundred different kinds of aircraft - more than any other pilot in history.A rival to Chuck Yeager and hero to Neil Armstrong, by the time of his appearance on Desert Island Discs' 1000th episode Winkle had become a legend in his own lifetime, and by his death, a national treasure.But despite his enormous fame, there have always been mysteries at the heart of Winkle's story.Now, drawing on previously unseen documents and unfettered access to Winkle's own personal archive, Paul Beaver uncovers the complex and enigmatic man behind the legend - the real story of Britain's greatest pilot.A story Winkle insisted could only be told after his death . . .----------'Compelling, fascinating and frequently jaw-dropping. A brilliant and revelatory biography' JAMES HOLLAND'Beaver recounts the story of a man he regarded as a mentor in unshowy but fascinating detail, and restores a British hero to his rightful place' OBSERVER'[A] thumping great biography by Britain's leading aviation historian' DAILY MAIL, 'BOOK OF THE WEEK''Winkle Brown's astonishing adventures make for fascinating reading' SUNDAY TIMES'An excellent biography' PATRICK BISHOP, DAILY TELEGRAPH'The extraordinary story [of] a fearless pilot and decorated war hero. Epic' THE HERALD'A thrilling new biography' DAILY EXPRESS'A thumping great biography of the flying ace who made Top Gun look tame ... enthralling' DAILY MAIL'Riveting ... one of those must-read books, compelling and full of incidents that leave you gasping with surprise ... an incredible story' FLYER'An incredible life ... Brown took a secret to the grave that makes his story all the more remarkable' THE SUN

Read more less

'STRIKINGLY INTENSE. . . IMMERSIVE AND THOROUGHLY COMPELLING' SFXThe war is over but peace can be hell.Demons continue to burn farmlands, violent mercenaries roam the wilds and a plague is spreading. The country of Eidyn is on its knees.In a society that fears and shuns him, Aranok is the first mage to be named king's envoy. And his latest task is to restore and exiled foreign queen to her throne. The band of allies he assembles each have their own unique skills. But they are strangers to one another, and at every step across the ravaged land, a new threat emerges, lies are revealed and distrust could destroy everything they are working for. Somehow, Aranok must bring his companions together and uncover the conspiracy that threatens the kingdom - before war returns to the realms again. A fast-paced epic fantasy, filled with swashbuckling action and expansive worldbuilding, The Lost War is perfect for fans of Nicholas Eames' Kings of the Wyld and RJ Barker. Praise for The Lost War:'An exciting, action-packed fantasy' Mark Lawrence'Justin's book reads like you've been dropped in the middle of a classic fantasy adventure, full of familiar elements twisted to be terrifying. . . Exquisite' Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Sword Defiant'Excellent - full of great characters, tense action scenes and truly surprising twists. A highly recommended read' James Islington, author of The Shadow of What was Lost'Rich in action and intrigue, this fantasy adventure with a Scottish flavour is sure to please fans of David Gemmell' Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author'A fantastic read. . . It's an exceptional book and I can't recommend it enough' Steve McHugh, author of The Last Raven 'Compelling and entertaining. . . inventive and fun.' SciFiNow 'Genuinely surprised and delighted me' Anna Stephens, author of Godblind 'Highly entertaining fantasy. . .extremely readable' Tom Lloyd, author of Twilight Reign 'A blistering tale packed with action and adventure' Evening News 'Outstanding. . . The Lost War is easily one of the biggest surprises of the year' Novel Notions 'This book has a perfect blend of everything' Spells and Spaceships

Read more less

World War II left virtually no nation or corner of the world untouched, dramatically transforming human life and society. It prompted the unprecedented mobilization of whole societies and witnessed a scale of state-sanctioned violence that staggers the imagination, with more than 100 million casualties. The war resulted in an almost complete collapse of any norms geared toward avoiding the unnecessary loss of civilian life and shaped the worldview and psyches of generations. The Oxford Handbook of World War II broadens traditional narratives of the war and in the process changes our understanding of this epic conflict. Organized both chronologically and thematically and with particular attention to the pre- and post-war eras, the Handbook revises and extends existing scholarship. With chapters on the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, the land war in Western Europe, the Battle of Britain, the impact of war on the major combatants (Great Britain, France, the United States, Japan, and China), the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the decision to use the atomic bomb in 1945, and the cultural responses to the war, the chapters span much of the twentieth century. They suggest areas of scholarly consensus, identify interpretative clashes, and propose agendas for further scholarly investigation, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary inquiry. For example, the end of the Cold War had a profound impact on the way World War II was understood. Many formerly closed records in the former Soviet Union and China were opened to scholars, facilitating a more complex view of the Soviet war effort and suggesting that Stalin's army did not simply triumph by overwhelming German forces with sheer numbers but mastered the demands of a vast and logistically demanding front. In conceptualizing the volume, editors Kurt Piehler and Jonathan Grant also sought out contributions on lesser known aspects of the war, such as the Bengal famine in India, the treatment of prisoners of war, the role of Middle Eastern nations, and the activities of non-governmental organizations in ameliorating suffering. Spanning the rise and fall of the Versailles system to the postwar reintegration of veterans and the eventual commemoration of the conflict and its victims, The Oxford Handbook of World War II marks a landmark contribution to the historical literature of war.

Read more less

‘This splendid and often moving work of history… Schama has a gift for combining novelistically colourful detail, serious analysis and wryly amusing asides’ Daily Telegraph ‘Superb’ Observer ‘Extraordinary… A meticulous retelling of a terrible yet scientifically innovative period… Makes an urgent case for building a better future on our toxic past’ Guardian ‘This is history of the best sort – humanly engaged but never sentimental’ Mail on Sunday Cities and countries engulfed by panic and death, desperate for vaccines but fearful of what inoculation may bring. This is what the world has just gone through with Covid-19. But as Simon Schama shows in his epic history of vulnerable humanity caught between the terror of contagion and the ingenuity of science, it has happened before. Characteristically, with Schama the message is delivered through gripping, page-turning stories set in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries: smallpox strikes London; cholera hits Paris; plague comes to India. Threading through the scenes of terror, suffering and hope – in hospitals and prisons, palaces and slums – are an unforgettable cast of characters: a philosopher-playwright burning up with smallpox in a country chateau; a vaccinating doctor paying house calls in Halifax; a woman doctor in south India driving her inoculator-carriage through the stricken streets as dead monkeys drop from the trees. But we are also in the labs when great, life-saving breakthroughs happen, in Paris, Hong Kong and Mumbai. At the heart of it all, an unsung hero: Waldemar Haffkine. A gun-toting Jewish student in Odesa turned microbiologist at the Pasteur Institute, hailed in England as ‘the saviour of mankind’ for vaccinating millions against cholera and bubonic plague in British India while being cold-shouldered by the medical establishment of the Raj. Creator of the world’s first mass production line of vaccines in Mumbai, he is tragically brought down in an act of shocking injustice. Foreign Bodies crosses borders between east and west, Asia and Europe, the worlds of rich and poor, politics and science. Its thrilling story carries with it the credo of its author on the interconnectedness of humanity and nature; of the powerful and the people. Ultimately, Schama says, as we face the challenges of our times together, ‘there are no foreigners, only familiars’.

Read more less

THE TIMES BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2023 A BOOK OF THE YEAR PICK FOR THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE, GUARDIAN, INDEPENDENT AND FINANCIAL TIMES A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK | AN INSTANT #2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Humanity has transformed the Earth: Frankopan transforms our understanding of history' Financial Times 'Vast, learned and timely work' Sunday Times ------ From the international bestselling author of The Silk Roads comes a major history of how a changing climate has dramatically shaped the development—and demise—of civilisations across time. When we think about history, we rarely pay much attention to the most destructive floods, the worst winters, the most devastating droughts or the ways that ecosystems have changed over time. In The Earth Transformed, Peter Frankopan, one of the world’s leading historians, shows that the natural environment is a crucial, if not the defining, factor in global history – and not just of humankind. Volcanic eruptions, solar activities, atmospheric, oceanic and other shifts, as well as anthropogenic behaviour, are fundamental parts of the past and the present. In this magnificent and groundbreaking book, we learn about the origins of our species: about the development of religion and language and their relationships with the environment; about how the desire to centralise agricultural surplus formed the origins of the bureaucratic state; about how growing demands for harvests resulted in the increased shipment of enslaved peoples; about how efforts to understand and manipulate the weather have a long and deep history. All provide lessons of profound importance as we face a precarious future of rapid global warming. Taking us from the Big Bang to the present day and beyond, The Earth Transformed forces us to reckon with humankind’s continuing efforts to make sense of the natural world. ----- 'This is epic, gripping, original history that leaps off the page' Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland 'All Historians aiming to tell a narrative face the problem of when exactly to start it. Only Peter Frankopan would go back 2.5 billion years to the Great Oxidation Event' Tom Holland A 2023 HIGHLIGHT FOR: BBC NEWS * SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE * FINANCIAL TIMES * NEW EUROPEAN * GUARDIAN * NEW STATESMAN * THE TIMES * THE WEEK * WATERSTONES * BLACKWELL'S

Read more less

'This book is AMAZING!!!' Goodreads 'Gripping, what a concept and a thoroughly chilling read! The way the characters evolve and draw you in is spellbinding. Exploring the complexities of life on social media. An epic thriller that's both current and terrifying! 5*' Amazon Reviewer* * * * * Perfect for fans of Cara Hunter's Close to Home, Laura Marshall's Friend Request and thrillers by Clare Mackintosh and Robert Bryndza. The thriller with twists you'll never see coming! * * * * * Can a group of true crime addicts take on the police to catch a serial killer?A young woman is found dead in her bedroom surrounded by rose petals - the latest victim of 'The Lover'. Struggling under the weight of an internal investigation, DI Dominic Bell is no closer to discovering the identity of the killer and time is running out.As the murders escalate, Clementine Starke joins an online true crime group determined to take justice in to their own hands - to catch the killer before the police. Hiding a dark secret, she takes greater risks to find new evidence and infiltrate the group. As Starke and Bell get closer to cracking the case neither of them realise they're being watched. The killer is closer to them than they think, and he has his next victim - Clementine - firmly in his sights.* * * * * What readers are saying about My Little Eye: 'My Little Eye is a bang on psychological thriller of the most addictive kind.' Goodreads'Beautifully paced writing that had me speeding through every chapter at a rate of knots. Easily one of my favourite reads this year so far.' Goodreads Would I recommend this book? Oh YES! Yes! Yes! You better believe I would! My Little Eye had a Luther-esque feel to it but it's unique, risky, dark and addictive story really got under my skin. Can't wait for the next in this series!' Amazon Reviewer* * * * *'My Little Eye is an enthralling, intriguing and twisty tale for all of us armchair detectives who think we know it all.' Liz Nugent, author of Lying In Wait and Unravelling Oliver'A masterclass in pacing & such an original take on the serial killer thriller.' - Eva Dolan, author of This Is How It Ends

Read more less

Explore the history of the people, politics, and events of World War II - one of the most destructive events in world history.If you're keen on military history and World War II, this book is for you. This complete visual guide covers the events leading up to the war, major military battles around the globe, and the aftermath and its effects on our world today.Inside the pages of this chronological retelling, World War II is captured in hundreds of compelling images and eyewitness accounts of people involved in the epic conflict. Discover:- Comprehensive and objective coverage of every major military conflict and its impact on the rest of the war, with vivid descriptions and first-person accounts- Biography spreads highlight major military and political figures such as Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin- Find out about key battles, political, and economic forces, and technological advances that influenced the course of the war- Packed with striking graphics - including rarely seen colour photographs- Cross-referencing appears throughout, with timelines and global maps establishing an overview of each year of the conflict- Features on everyday life in the war and the discovery of Holocaust concentration camps add to the wider picture- Gallery spreads displaying weapons, spy gear, and other equipment that defined the warRenowned military historian Richard Holmes authors this compelling military book which explores the key events, people, and equipment that defined the most destructive event in world history. Meet the key players of the war through thought-provoking profiles and eyewitness accounts - from national leaders making decisions to combatants on the front-line, and the civilians left behind. Also explore definitive battles that altered the course of the war such as Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, and the D-Day landings.The complexities of World War II are displayed throughout this history book using photographs and rare colour images, international maps, easy-to-understand text, and detailed timelines to show events in unprecedented depth and detail. World War II: The Definitive Visual Guide provides an unparalleled account of this devastating conflict so we never forget and continue to learn from the past.

Read more less

Finalist for the 2020 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards!“This is the best book about Abraham Lincoln I’ve ever read.” – William J. Bennett, former US Secretary of Education and author of The Book of Virtues Old Abe, the sweeping historical novel from New York Times bestselling author John Cribb, brings America’s greatest president to life the way no other book has before. Old Abe is the story of the last five years of Abraham Lincoln’s life, the most cataclysmic years in American history. We are at Lincoln’s side on every page as he presses forward amid disaster and fights to save the country. Beginning in the spring of 1860, the story follows Lincoln through his election and the calamity of the Civil War. During the war, he walks bloody battlefields in the North and the South. He peers down the Potomac River with a spyglass amid terrifying reports of approaching Confederate gunboats. Death stalks him: one summer evening, a would-be assassin fires a shot at him, and the bullet passes through his hat. At the White House, he weeps over the body of Willie, his second son to die in childhood. As he tries desperately to hold the Union together, he searches for a general who will fight and finds him at last in Ulysses S. Grant. Amid national and personal tragedy, he struggles to find meaning in the Civil War and bring freedom to Southern slaves. Central to this biographical novel is a love story—the story of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln’s sometimes stormy yet devoted marriage. Mary’s strong will and ambition for her husband have helped drive him to the White House. But the presidency takes an awful toll on her, and she grows increasingly frightened and insecure. Lincoln watches helplessly as she becomes emotionally unstable, and he grasps for ways to support her. As Lincoln’s journey unfolds, Old Abe chronicles the final five, tumultuous years of his life until his eventual assassination at the height of power. Full of epic scenes from American history, such as the Gettysburg Address and the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, it probes the character and spirit of America. Old Abe portrays Lincoln not only as a flesh-and-blood man, but a hero who embodies his country’s finest ideals, the hero who sets the United States on track to become a great nation.

Read more less

The Great Steppe stretches from the Volga River and the Caspian Sea in the west to the easternmost limits of Djungaria in Western China. Sometimes referred to as the biggest field in the world, this vast region is as mysterious today as it was a thousand years ago. Despite modern development it remains little visited and little known. This was once a land of nomads, barren and harsh at its centre, but with rich grasslands fed by the many rivers flowing from the surrounding mountains. It was home to a society that kept no records other than the epic poems and songs celebrating the stories of its great batyrs (warriors). Whatever is known of this society survives within local culture - desecrated as it is by years of Soviet cultural vandalism - or in the voices of outsiders who occasionally passed through. Usually they were on their way elsewhere - to India, China, Tibet - but occasionally there were visitors who took more than a passing interest in the lives of the steppe nomads. Their findings and impressions are collected in this book. Edited and told with relish by Nick Fielding, these are the stories of early papal emissaries like Friar William of Rubruck and Jean de Piano Carpini, sent to negotiate with the Mongols, and the merchant adventurers like Andrew Jenkinson and Jonas Hanway who tried to capture the Silk Road trade. Later came the early scientists and geographers associated with Peter Simon Pallas and the Russian explorers exemplified by Chokan Walikhanov and Petr Petrovich Semenov. Thomas and Lucy Atkinson became the earliest British visitors to spend time in the steppe. They were followed by military adventurers such as Captain Fred Burnaby and James Abbott, and journalists including the great Aloysius MacGahan and David Ker, the original purveyor of 'fake news'. Besides Lucy Atkinson there were other determined women travellers including Adéle Hommaire de Hell and the remarkable Marie de Ujfalvy-Bourdon, both of whom documented life in the Great Steppe. Cambridge scientist William Bateson spent 18 months traversing the steppes looking for snail shells in the 1880s, and by the end of the 19th century the first tourists - some, like R L Jefferson, on bicycle - were arriving, to be followed by mining engineers and agricultural merchants. All have a tale to tell.

Read more less

In The New Philosophy of Universalism Nicholas Hagger outlined a new philosophy that restates the order within the universe, the oneness of humankind and an infinite Reality perceived as Light; and its applications in many disciplines, including literature. In this work of literary Universalism which carries forward the thinking in T.S. Eliot's 'Tradition and the Individual Talent' and other essays, Hagger traces the fundamental theme of world literature, which has alternating metaphysical and secular aspects: a quest for Reality and immortality; and condemnation of social vices in relation to an implied virtue. Since classical times these two antithetical traditions have periodically been synthesised by Universalists. Hagger sets out the world Universalist literary tradition: the writers who from ancient times have based their work on the fundamental Universalist theme. These can be found in the Graeco-Roman world, the Middle Ages and Renaissance, in the Baroque Age, in the Neoclassical, Romantic Victorian and Modernist periods, and in the modern time. He demonstrates that the Universalist sensibility is a synthesis of the metaphysical and secular traditions, and a combination of the Romantic inspired imagination (the inner faculty by which Romantic poets approached the Light) and the Neoclassical imitative approach to literature which emphasizes social order and proportion, a combination found in the Baroque time of the Metaphysical poets, and in Victorian and Modernist literature. Universalists express their cross-disciplinary sensibility in literary epic, as did Homer, Virgil, Dante and Milton, and in a number of genres within literature - and in history and philosophy. Universalist historians claim that every civilisation is nourished by a metaphysical vision that is expressed in its art, and when it declines secular, materialist writings lose contact with its central vision. As Universalist literary works restate the order within the universe, reveal metaphysical Being and restore the vision of Reality, Hagger excitingly argues that the Universalist sensibility renews Western civilisation's health. Literary Universalism is a movement that revives the metaphysical outlook and combines it with the secular, materialistic approach to literature that has predominated in recent times. It can carry out a revolution in thought and culture and offer a new direction in contemporary literature. This work conveys Universalism's impact on literature, and should be read by all who have concerns about the sickness and decline of contemporary European/Western culture.

Read more less

Ever wonder what a dog really wants to do for fun? What would make their "bucket list" of must-see and -do adventures? In Adventure Dogs: The Dog-Approved Guide to Having Fun (with Humans), author Lauren Watt consults dog experts and lovers worldwide and her own research to answer just that—and shares her advice for living life to the fullest with your four-legged best friend. This inspirational and practical guidebook features 75 unique dog-approved adventures and activities, offering new opportunities to explore the world around you with your pup. Captured in vibrant, full-color photography, activities range from easy to epic—from taking a scenic car ride, to climbing one of the highest dog-friendly mountains in the US, to learning "doga" or "dog painting" in the comfort of your own backyard. Adventure Dogs has something for every breed and every type of dog parent. Watt, who frequently goes on travels with her rescue dog, Bette, has done extensive research on each activity, consulting renowned dog experts, scientists, and behaviorists for tips, tricks, and helpful advice to guide you on your own adventures, big and small. Perfect for dog lovers, armchair travelers, and active pet parents alike, Adventure Dogs reveals new and exciting ways for us humans to understand, appreciate, and live in the moment with our furry companions. • PRACTICAL ADVENTURES: Features real, everyday activities to engage with your dog every day in scientifically-backed ways. With a range of prices and time investments, there's something in this book for everyone and every pup. • BACKED BY RESEARCH: Author Lauren Watt has traveled and done her own research with her rescue dog, Bette. She's also spoken to renowned scientists and behaviorists (Alexandra Horowitz, Clive Wynne, Jane Goodall), bestselling dog-book authors (Seth Casteel, Steven Rowley, Teresa Rhyne), Instagram-famous dog owners, and people who have expanded the limits of what we thought dogs could do, whether it's surf, skateboard, paint, do yoga, or learn over a thousand proper nouns. • INSPIRATIONAL LOCATIONS: Features fun and surprising pet-friendly destinations around the country and aboard. • EXPERT CONTRIBUTORS: Watt has brought in a range of experts to add stories, tips, and photography to the book. The result is a wonderful and diverse collection of voices and perspectives.

Read more less

On the morning of 4 November 2019, an unassuming caravan of women and children was ambushed by masked gunmen on a desolate stretch of road in northern Mexico controlled by the Sinaloa drug cartel. Firing semi-automatic weapons, the attackers killed nine people and gravely injured five more. The victims were members of the LeBaron and La Mora communities—fundamentalist Mormons whose forebears broke from the LDS Church and settled in Mexico when their religion outlawed polygamy in the late nineteenth century. The massacre produced international headlines for weeks and prompted President Donald Trump to threaten to send in the US Army. In The Colony, bestselling investigative journalist Sally Denton picks up where the initial, incomplete reporting on the attacks ended, and delves into the complex story of the LeBaron clan. Their homestead—Colonia LeBaron—is a portal into the past, a place that offers a glimpse of life within a polygamous community on an arid and dangerous frontier in the mid-1800s, though with smartphones and machine guns. Rooting her narrative in written sources as well as interviews with anonymous women from LeBaron itself, Denton unfolds an epic, disturbing tale that spans the first polygamist emigrations to Mexico through the LeBarons’ internal blood feud in the 1970s—started by Ervil LeBaron, known as the “Mormon Manson”—and up to the family’s recent alliance with the NXIVM sex cult, whose now-imprisoned leader, Keith Raniere, may have based his practices on the society he witnessed in Colonia LeBaron. The LeBarons’ tense but peaceful interactions with Sinaloa deteriorated in the years leading up to the ambush. LeBaron patriarchs believed they were deliberately targeted by the cartel. Others suspected that local farmers had carried out the attacks in response to the LeBarons’ seizure of water rights for their massive pecan orchards. As Denton approaches answers to who committed the murders, and why, The Colony transforms into something more than a crime story. A descendant of polygamist Mormons herself, Denton explores what drove so many women over generations to join or remain in a community based on male supremacy and female servitude. Then and now, these women of Zion found themselves in an isolated desert, navigating the often-mysterious complications of plural marriage—and supported, Denton shows, only by one another. A mesmerising feat of investigative journalism, The Colony doubles as an unforgettable account of sisterhood that can flourish in polygamist communities, against the odds.

Read more less

Bubbly fine arts graduate Gené is desperate to get into the film industry. She moves to Cape Town and works as a photographer for a tabloid magazine. Gené starts moonlighting on film sets and finds herself on an Indian paint commercial where a big Bollywood producer offers her a six-month stint in his company in Mumbai. Unable to resist the lure and glamour of working in film and traveling the world business class, she leaps at the opportunity and soon finds herself on a plane headed for India. But there is no free curry in Mumbai. On arrival she realizes she is expected to sleep with the producer, and slips into an uneasy, culturally challenging role as his new firangi girlfriend. The producer soon insists on transforming Gené into a size-6 blonde who he can show off on the red carpet. He puts her on a grueling diet and stringent exercise regime. Once a teenage anorexic, this pushes all her deepest buttons of insecurity around her fraught body issues. Even though he is twice her age, overweight, and often rude, she becomes obsessed with him, and is soon convinced that he is cheating on her. She goes on an all-out mission to make him love her. When it becomes clear the producer no longer wants her, she manipulates her way into turning her six-month work stint into a six-year epic stay. In her first year there, she works on 96 commercials and gets drawn into the rich cultural textures of India, experiencing India in a way rarely written about. With access to the who's who in Bollywood, she rubs shoulders with India's most famous glitterati, including the great Bly Avibath, India's most famous actor. Gené also becomes close to Bollywood's top director, Kiran, and they dream about making the film of her life, together. After a traumatic night with the producer in a London hotel, she realizes it's time to leave India and come home. Although she continues to return to Bollywood over the next few years to do films with her hero Bly Avibath, who insists that she work with him, the producer now has little hold over her. On the last film that Gené does with Bly she tells him about her dream to tell her story. He surprises her by buying her a MacBook Pro, which she ends up using to write this book.

Read more less

Black Panther meets Percy Jackson in this action-packed superhero series about a British-Nigerian girl who learns that her Afro hair has psychokinetic powers. Soon to be a feature film with a major streamer! Check out the complete series – Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels is out now and Onyeka and the Heroes of the Dawn is out March 2024. And don't miss Onyeka and the Secret Superhero, the special World Book Day story coming February 2024! ‘Onyeka is the superhero you’ve been waiting for.’ Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Girl of Ink and Stars Onyeka has a lot of hair – the kind that makes strangers stop in the street. When she makes the important discovery that she can control her hair with her mind, she's whisked off to the Academy of the Sun, a school in Nigeria where Solari – children with superpowers – are trained But Onyeka and her new friends at the Academy soon have to put their powers to the test as they find themselves caught up in an epic battle . . . one that puts the future of all Solari at risk.Praise for Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun: ‘Brilliant characters, action-packed plot, heartfelt themes of identity, family and friendship. A DAZZLING story about finding your power.’ Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs ‘An incredible story that reinvents the concept of a school for magical kids. So inspiring and creatively original.’ L. D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency ‘Fast-paced, action-packed and empowering. Tọlá Okogwu’s storytelling shines so bright you’ll want the next instalment immediately.’ A. F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief ‘An inspiring, original and exciting roller coaster of a book.’ Katie Tsang, co-author of Dragon Mountain ‘A rich and gripping story of discovering that your greatest power can come from within. I loved it!’ Lisa Thompson, author of The Goldfish Boy ‘Brilliant, witty writing and spot-on characterisation.’ Louie Stowell, author of Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good ‘A thrilling, magical page-turner. Children will fall in love with this story.’ Jenny McLachlan, author of The Land of Roar 'Wildly fun and a huge breath of invigorating fresh air.’ Sam Copeland, author of Charlie Changes Into a Chicken ‘A thrilling, action-packed adventure full of heart. Onyeka is sure to be everyone's new favourite superhero.’ Hannah Gold, author of The Last Bear

Read more less

‘Stunningly brilliant… Full of more twists and turns than the best ever rollercoaster, with an epic ending’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ TRICK OR TREAT? When six-year-old Marcus is taken from outside his house on Halloween it shakes his quiet neighbourhood to the core. Everyone was ready for a night of trick-or-treating. Now the unthinkable has happened. TRUTH OR LIES? As Detective Imogen Grey arrives to question Marcus’s parents, they tell her there has been a mistake. Their son is just fine. But if that’s true, where is Marcus? INNOCENT OR GUILTY? Imogen becomes locked in a race against time to find the missing child and uncover the truth. Can she discover what’s happened to Marcus before it’s too late? Detective Imogen Grey returns in a completely addictive page-turner, perfect for fans of Cara Hunter, TM Logan and Shari Lapena. Readers are gripped by Trick or Treat: ‘Started and finished in the same day!… I was HOOKED!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Brilliant!… A gripping race against time’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A fabulous rollercoaster… Five stars seems hardly enough!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I LOVED this book!… I just couldn't put it down… Fast-paced… Keeps you always wanting more… Amazing’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ALL HAIL THE QUEEN OF CRIME!!… LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!… 5 stars hands down’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘So ridiculously good… Absolutely gripping from page one… Didn’t let up until the very end’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I am completely stunned right now… The conclusion is amazing! The last line of the story… I actually gasped when I read it’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Brilliant… Fast-paced, thrilling and full of tension and suspense… I loved the twists… I didn’t want the book to end… A cracker of a read’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fantastic… One night I’d put the book down to go to sleep but had to pick it up again just to read a little more!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow!… Incredible!… If you love Cara Hunter, Karin Slaughter and TM Logan, then you’ll love this’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read more less

The fourth novel in a historical series that began with the International Booker-shortlisted The Unseen "Taken together, Jacobsen has given us an epic of Norway's experience of the first half of the 20th century that is subtle and moving" David Mills, Sunday Times"Jacobsen can make almost anything catch the light . . . One of Norway's greatest writers on the working class" Times Literary SupplementA childless island is no island at all.Ingrid Marie Barrøy has returned to the island that bears her name, bringing up her daughter with the other children that came with the war, who will someday raise their own children until an island that was empty is singing once more with life.And soon another will arrive, a child of the war and an orphan of the peace, whom Ingrid will fight to make her own, and whose interests may, in time, collide with those of certain others on the island, forcing her to make a choice she will long regret.The sea brings the island all it has - herring for salting, eider ducks for down - but Ingrid knows, has alwaysknown, that one day it may wish to take something back. But until that day, she continues to live by one simple truth:There is no limit to what you can do with an island, the imagination sets the only limits, as with the sea.Translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett and Don ShawReviews for The Unseen"Even by his high standards, his magnificent new novel The Unseen is Jacobsen's finest to date, as blunt as it is subtle and is easily among the best books I have ever read" Eileen Battersby, Irish Times"A beautifully crafted novel . . . Quite simply a brilliant piece of work . . . Rendered beautifully into English by Don Bartlett and Don Shaw, The Unseen is a towering achievement that would be a deserved Booker International winner" Charlie Connelly, New European."A profound interrogation of freedom and fate, as well as a fascinating portrait of a vanished time, written in prose as clear and washed clean as the world after a storm" Justine Jordan, Guardian"The subtle translation, with its invented dialect, conveys a timeless, provincial voice . . . The Unseen is a blunt, brilliant book" Tom Graham, Financial Times.

Read more less

*A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*'This visionary and deeply evocative debut carves a radiant love story out of the bleakest of landscapes.' Waterstones - Best Books to Look Out For in 2021'An Outstanding novel' Guardian'A lyrical, poetic novel' Independent'Epic in its scale' Marlon James, author of Black Leopard, Red Wolf'A rare marvel' Ocean Vuong, author of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous'Magisterial' Courttia Newland, author of A River Called Time'A spellbinding debut' COSMO'Ambitious and intense' Vanity Fair----------------------------One of:The New York Times Book Review's Books to Watch for in JanuaryThe Washington Post's 10 Books to Read in JanuaryTIME's 10 New Books You Should Read in JanuaryO, the Oprah Magazine's 32 LGBTQ Books That Will Changethe Literary Landscape in 2021Cosmopolitan's New LGBTQ+ Books to Add to Your Reading ListBuzzFeed's Most Anticipated Historical Fiction of 2021Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2021The Millions' Most Anticipated Books of 2021--------------------------In this blinding debut, Robert Jones Jr. blends the lyricism of Toni Morrison with the vivid prose of Zora Neale Hurston to characterise the forceful, enduring bond of love, and what happens when brutality threatens the purest form of serenity. The Halifax plantation is known as Empty by the slaves who work it under the pitiless gaze of its overseers and its owner, Massa Paul. Two young enslaved men, Samuel and Isaiah dwell among the animals they keep in the barn, helping out in the fields when their day is done. But the barn is their haven, a space of radiance and love - away from the blistering sun and the cruelty of the toubabs - where they can be alone together.But, Amos - a fellow slave - has begun to direct suspicion towards the two men and their refusal to bend. Their flickering glances, unspoken words and wilful intention, revealing a truth that threatens to rock the stability of the plantation. And preaching the words of Massa Paul's gospel, he betrays them. The culminating pages of The Prophets summon a choral voice of those who have suffered in silence, with blistering humanity, as the day of reckoning arrives at the Halifax plantation. Love, in all its permutations, is the discovery at the heart of Robert Jones Jr's breathtaking debut, The Prophets.

Read more less

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet like you've never seen it - or read it - before!Classics in Graphics: Romeo and Juliet has been adapted into a graphic novel by expert authors, Steve Skidmore and Steve Barlow, with illustrations by Wendy Tan Shiau Wei. The epic, tragic love story reads like your favourite film on the page - as Death stubbornly hovers over the heads of our star-crossed lovers.Classics in Graphics is a series of graphic novels for children aged 10 plus that has inclusion at its heart, flinging wide the doors of literature for everyone to enter and understand. Including dyslexia-friendly design on every page, and encouraging readers to relate to these iconic roles - casting spells, falling in love and winning duels.Each graphic novel includes pitch-perfect illustrations for presenting the tragic, the romantic, the comedic, the magical, as well as:- snappy simplified text presenting Shakespeare's themes clearly- introductory materials to help set the scene and context of each story- heaps of extra material at the back to keep the learning and fun going, including an exploration of themes in the play, the language, Shakespeare's inspirations, the publication and performance of the play in history, a timeline of Shakespeare's life and works, and much more!Plays available in the series include:MacbethThe TempestHamletRomeo and JulietA Midsummer Night's DreamMuch Ado About NothingPraise for the Classics in Graphics series:"Excellent production and binding, quality paper, and with fantastic writing and illustrations - an encouraging entry point to Shakespeare for my kids, and ease of dive-in for my own flighting or cursory storytelling engagement/whimsy [...] an excellent job converting challenging language and literary themes to make it very inclusive, smoothing ease of understanding dialogue, plot, and narration without dumbing it down. Each book has a wonderful appendix including notes on Shakespeare, relevant maps and themes (i.e. for example in Hamlet it goes deeper into its themes of Revenge, Madness & Mortality), and a glossary. For a graphic novel adaptation, I think these books are delightful. [...] They are wonderful and have quickly broken down the wall of "fear of Shakespeare" in my house as they are so easy to read and engage. And they have a really nice tactile production value, heft, and readability that makes broaching these often deemed difficult works, FUN. And of course, they are nice to look at." - EricWilliamson, www.leagueofcomicgeeks.com

Read more less

THE FIRST ADULT NOVEL BY THE CARNEGIE PRIZE WINNING AUTHOR OF JUNK'A spirited retelling... witty and insightful.' i PAPER'His prose is electrical, crackling with a mischievous charge.' BUZZ MAGAZINE'Told with wit [and] verve... it's a book that exerts a curious charm.' MAIL ON SUNDAY'Burgess recounts Loki's genius . . . with great gusto, pulling together many tales into one sometimes beautifully lyrical masterwork.' SFX MAGAZINE'a mischievous, unpredictable and clever book that breathes new life into an already fascinating character and godly race.' CULTUREFLYStep into the ancient fir-tree forests of Scandinavia and bear witness to legends as epic as those of the Greeks and the Romans.Melvin Burgess revolutionised children's literature with the infamous cult novels Junk and Doing It. In his first adult novel, Loki, he breathes new life into Norse myths.Starting with the Norse creation myths, the trickster god Loki takes the reader on a wild ride through Norse mythology, from the time the gods - the founders of Asgard - defeated races of monsters, and hurtling through famous stories, including Odin hanging himself on the World Tree, the theft of the corrupting gold ring and the murder of Baldr, the god of love and the Sun. This narrative may seem familiar enough at first, but the reader should beware. Born within the heart of a fire in the hollow of a tree-trunk, Loki arrives in Asgard as an outsider. He is a trickster, an unreliable narrator, the god of intelligence and politics. In spite of his cleverness and sparkling wit (or, perhaps, because of this...) Loki struggles to find his place among the old patriarchal gods of supernatural power and is constantly at odds with the god of thunder - Thor. Alongside the politics of Asgard, it charts the course of Loki's many loves and families, from his mothering of Odin's famous horse to his intense, turbulent, and, eventually, fatal relationship with Baldr the Beautiful - a tender and moving story of love that goes wrong, jealousy and a transitioning that is forbidden by society. This is a retelling that is contemporary in tone, at once amusing and relatable. It is a heartfelt plea to overthrow the old gods of power and authority and instigate a new era ruled by love and intelligence.

Read more less