Search results for ""author stills"

1. 1 Wage Setting vs. Wage Taking Inhisground-breakingmonographMonopsonyin Motion:Imperfect Competitionin Labor Markets, Manning (2003a, p. 3) starts his argument in favour of a monop- nistic approach to labour market phenomena with a compelling case against perfect competition: 'What happens if an employer cuts the wage it pays its workers by one cent? Much of labor economics is built on the assumption that all existing workers immediately leave the rm as that is the implication of the assumption of perfect competition in the labor market. ' Taking the model literally, this would indeed be its prediction. Other than in a perfectly competitive labour market where employers are wage takers unable to deviate from the market wage, a monopsonistic approach assumes that employers possess signi cant wage-setting power and actually ex- cise their market power. Put differently, it argues that some of the workers stay with the rm, giving the rm some discretionin wage setting. Technically speaking, the main difference between the two models is that under perfect competition the laboursupply faced by the rm is in nitely elastic, whereas this doesnot hold under 1 monopsony. While Manningis right in stating that the modelof a perfectlycompetitivelabour market still dominates teaching and considerable parts of labour economics, there are of course notable exceptions, for instance, the ef ciency wage (e. g. , Schlicht, 1978; Salop, 1979a; Shapiro and Stiglitz, 1984; Yellen, 1984), the search and eq- librium unemployment (e. g.

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With supreme skill and reverence, capturing shards, stillness and chaos, Fatin Abbas delivers a novel that gallops close and parallel to current events in Sudan.A dynamic, beautifully orchestrated debut novel connecting five characters caught in the crosshairs of conflict on the Sudanese border.A mysterious burnt corpse appears one morning in Saraaya, a remote border town between northern and southern Sudan. For five strangers on an NGO compound, the discovery foreshadows trouble to come. South Sudanese translator William connects the corpse to the sudden disappearance of cook Layla, a northern nomad with whom he's fallen in love. Meanwhile, Sudanese American filmmaker Dena struggles to connect to her unfamiliar homeland, and white midwestern aid worker Alex finds his plans thwarted by a changing climate and looming civil war. Dancing between the adults is Mustafa, a clever, endearing twelve-year-old, whose schemes to rise out of poverty set off cataclysmic events on the compound.Amid the paradoxes of identity, art, humanitarian aid, and a territory riven by conflict, William, Layla, Dena, Alex, and Mustafa must forge bonds stronger than blood or identity. Weaving a sweeping history of the breakup of Sudan into the lives of these captivating characters, Fatin Abbas explores the porous and perilous nature of borders?whether they be national, ethnic, or religious?and the profound consequences for those who cross them. Ghost Season is a gripping, vivid debut that announces Abbas as a powerful new voice in fiction.

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Teaching young learners can be a huge amount of fun. As teachers we can introduce all sorts of games, projects and variations on traditional exercises. All this needs careful structuring if the resulting activity is to be manageable and, more importantly, if it is going to help students learn and practise words and sentences in English. In Structuring Fun for Young Learners you'll learn about the principles behind that structure with a roller coaster ride of colourful ideas, examples and anecdotes as their vehicle. There are over three hundred diagrams and photographs to help explain exactly how the described activities work and give you the flavor of ELT classes at primary level. When fun in the classroom is properly structured, everyone is a winner. Your students will remember those activities for years and you will still be able to cover your course content without compromising on classroom management. In order for all this to happen, important questions such as: 'How do children behave in classrooms?' 'Why do they want to do some tasks and refuse to do others?' 'What is learning anyway and how can we tie our target words and sentences to the activities we do?' have to be asked. These fundamentals are covered in the first five chapters of the book. The second part of the book explores movement, text, space, novelty objects, teacher-student dialogue, personalisation, clips, images, support for learners, use of coursebooks and your own professional development as a young learner teacher. So, whether you are a new teacher, a seasoned veteran or teacher trainer with young learners classes this is the book for you.

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Risking harsh retribution, including beatings, further privations, and at the very least confiscation, Far East prisoners of war (FEPOW) were still determined to provide the world with visual accounts of their brutal existence. Doing so was strictly forbidden, so their art had to be done on whatever scraps of paper or other materials they could beg, steal or borrow, and their paints and tools were ingeniously acquired or home made. Captive Artists brings together for the first time this secret art, created by over 65 previously unrecognised artists, all British servicemen, who documented survival during Far East captivity. In colour, pencil, pen and ink, even needle and thread and clay, this uncompromising and at times challenging collection illustrates both the importance of art as therapy, and the resilience of the human spirit. Humorous cartoons, caricatures and portraits bring the men to life. Glorious watercolours of landscapes, local flora and fauna, camp life and medical ingenuity poignantly reveal how the men lived and survived in the face of such deprivation and despair. Survival, and the artists' need to record it in myriad ways, underpins this unique collection of unseen Second World War art. Not only is the art often of an astonishingly high standard, it is also a sobering but vital portrayal of man's inhumanity to man. * Published to coincide with the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day (Victory in Japan) in 2020 * The only book that really conveys in both a visual and verbal way just what it was like living through the nightmare of captivity in the Far East * Exhibition in Philip Mould Gallery in Pall Mall in February 2020

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Assassin's Reign, the fourth in The Civil War Chronicles, Michael Arnold's acclaimed series of historical thrillers, sees battle-scarred hero Captain Stryker, 'the Sharpe of the Civil War', in the fight of his life.'Stands in comparison with the best of Cornwell' Yorkshire PostThe forces of King Charles are victorious; their Parliamentarian enemies in deep crisis. In the west, the crucial port city of Bristol has fallen, and Royalist eyes fall quickly upon neighbouring Gloucester. Its walls are weak, its garrison under strength, and its governor - Sir Edward Massie - suspected of harbouring sympathy for the King.Stryker and his men are with the army as it converges on Gloucester, still reeling from the loss of a close friend at the bloody Battle of Stratton. Ordered to infiltrate the rebel city on a mission to discover whether Massie will indeed surrender, Stryker reluctantly embarks upon his most desperate mission yet. But Gloucester's defenders are more resolute than any had imagined, and catastrophe soon befalls him. With his life seemingly forfeit, Stryker is spared by an unlikely saviour; Vincent Skaithlocke, his former commander. The mercenary has returned to England to fight for Parliament, and offers Stryker his protection. As old friends adjust to life fighting for opposing sides, Stryker begins to question his own loyalties . . . but a chance discovery makes him realise that all in Gloucester is not what it seems, for a hidden menace threatens his own life, and that of King Charles himself.

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Robert Graves, aged nineteen, left school within a week of the outbreak of World War I, and immediately volunteered with the Royal Welch Fusiliers. His experiences as a junior officer form the heart of this compelling autobiography. Beginning with an ironic overview of his Edwardian childhood, he proceeds to a tongue-in-cheek account of a young poet's life at public school (not helpful to be half-German, but handy to take up boxing), progressing to caricatures of military stereotypes he encounters in training, and the devastating farce of the War itself, the blundering and mismanagement, and the appalling human consequences. Graves's handling of the horrors of war is always deadpan, honest and unadorned. It is wholly in line with his sense of the absurd that his commanding officer should write to inform his parents that he had died of wounds during the battle of the Somme. He soon found that patriotism was meaningless to the men in the trenches; loyalty to comrades alive and dead drove him back to active service though still suffering from shell-shock. Goodbye to All That takes Graves through his convalescence in England, his efforts to protect the poet Siegfried Sassoon, a friend and fellow officer, from the consequences of his public denunciation of the war; marriage to artist and feminist Nancy Nicholson, postwar undergraduate years at Oxford and a decade as a struggling writer with four young children, beset with money problems and neurasthenia. It is written in a spirit of defiance as he prepared to put 'all that' behind him and begin a new life in Majorca with the American poet Laura Riding.

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Joseph Beuys is arguably the most important and most controversial German artist of the late twentieth century, not least because his persona is interwoven with Germany's fascist past. This book illuminates two defining threads in Beuys's life and art: the centrality of trauma, and his sustained investigation of the very notion of art itself. In addition to the materials of fat and felt that Beuys used widely in his oeuvre, numerous Beuys artworks are autobiogra-ph-ical in content. His self-woven legend of rescue and redemption still strikes many as a highly inappropriate fantasy, or even an outright lie, located as it is in the harrowing context of the Second World War as it was lived by a German soldier or 'Nazi'. Nevertheless, Beuys's self-mythology confronted the post-traumatic, foregrounding his struggle for psychic recovery. Perhaps most importantly, this led to his major efforts to expand Western art, freeing artists after him to work in a thoroughly interdisciplinary way and to embrace anthropological conclusions about art and culture. Beuys's lived experience determined a consistent commitment to peaceful change and positive transformation not only through his work, but in the discussions and institutions he initiated. His notion of activism-as-art has not only become a widespread practice, but is predominant in contemporary art of the twenty-first century. Exploring Beuys's expansive conception of art and following him into the realms of science, politics and spirituality, this book, in contrast to many other accounts of Beuys's life, attributes extraordinary importance to his own myth-making as a positive force in the post-war confrontation of Germany's past.

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*A BookTok and Wattpad Viral Sensation*Fast-paced and sizzling with a forbidden enemies-to-lovers romance, Your Fault is the second book in Mercedes Ron's Culpable trilogy. This suspenseful YA series untangles the threads of love, trauma, and secrets, perfect for fans of Ugly Love and After.When Noah fell in love with Nick, she knew their relationship would never be easy. They're fire and electricity, and when they're together, every kind of sparks fly. After last summer, Noah thought their passion had grown stronger than their fear, but her life is about to turn upside-down again now that she's starting university. Moving again while maintaining her relationship with Nick will be a difficult hurdle, with their age difference, campus life, dangerous parties, and inner demons stalking them both, reminding them of all they still don't know about each other.No matter how hard they try, there will always be wounds that won't close. Is Noah really prepared to overcome her fears and truly trust someone again? Will Nick be able to put his past behind him and keep his heart open?Or are they doomed only to burn each other's worlds down?Filled with angst, danger, and electric attraction, Your Fault is perfect for readers looking for:Contemporary teen romance booksUnputdownable & bingeworthy novelsTikTok booksAfter meets The Kissing BoothColleen Hoover fansForbidden romance

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Practical Magic meets Gilmore Girls in this adorable witchy rom-com with:A bisexual virgin baker with a curseA witch looking to avoid romantic entanglementsAnd a chemistry between them that causes literal sparksDanica Waterhouse is a fully modern witch—daughter, granddaughter, cousin, and co-owner of the Fix-It Witches, a magical tech repair shop. After a messy breakup that included way too much family "feedback," Danica made a pact with her cousin: they'll keep their hearts protected and have fun, without involving any of the overly opinionated Waterhouse matriarchs. Danica is more than a little exhausted navigating a long-standing family feud where Gram thinks the only good mundane is a dead one and Danica's mother weaves floral crowns for anyone who crosses her path.Three blocks down from the Fix-It Witches, Titus Winnaker, owner of Sugar Daddy's bakery, has family trouble of his own. After a tragic loss, all he's got left is his sister, the bakery, and a lifetime of terrible luck in love. Sure, business is sweet, but he can't seem to shake the romantic curse that's left him past thirty and still a virgin. He's decided he's doomed to be forever alone.Until he meets Danica Waterhouse. The sparks are instant, their attraction irresistible. For him, she's the one. To her, he's a firebomb thrown in the middle of a family war. Can a modern witch find love with an old-fashioned mundane who refuses to settle for anything less than forever?

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The case of the Central Park Five is being revisited with a new acclaimed Netflix limited series on the subject, When They See Us, directed by Ava DuVernay.This is the only book that is going to tell you all you need to know about one of the most infamous criminal cases in American history. A trial that, thirty years on, still bears a striking, and unsettling, resemblance to our current political climate in the era of President Donald Trump.In April 1989, a white woman who came to be known as the 'Central Park jogger' was brutally raped and severely beaten, her body left crumpled in a ravine. Amid the staggering torrent of media coverage and public outcry that ensued, exposing the deep-seated race and class divisions in New York City at the time, five teenagers were quickly apprehended - four black and one Hispanic. All five confessed, were tried and convicted as adults despite no evidence linking them to the victim.Over a decade later, when DNA tests connected serial rapist Matias Reyes to the crime, the government, law enforcement, social institutions and media of New York were exposed as having undermined the individuals they were designed to protect. In The Central Park Five, Sarah Burns, who has worked closely with the young men to uncover and document the truth, recounts the ins and outs of this historic case for the first time since their convictions were overturned, telling, at last, the full story of one of America's most legendary miscarriages of justice.

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This gripping history details the remarkable exploits of a Commando and Special Operations Executive operative during the Second World War. It is a story of extreme courage and a revealing portrait of a man who ultimately gave his life for the liberation of France. This is the first time his story has been told in full. Colin Ogden-Smith was among the first to volunteer for the newly created Commandos. In 1942 he transferred to the SOE and joined the elite Small Scale Raiding Force to carry out raids across the Channel. He participated in Operation _Branford_, a raid to the island of Burhou, just north of Alderney, on 7 September 1942, and then,later in the year, Operation _Basalt_, a Commando attack on Sark With the approach of the D-Day landings, Ogden-Smith volunteered for a new, clandestine group known as the Jedburghs - which represented the first real co-operation in Europe between SOE and the Special Operations branch of OSS. The Jedburghs were small teams of personnel from British, American, French, Dutch and Belgian forces that were inserted into Occupied Europe from June 1944 onwards to link up with the local Resistance groups and conduct sabotage and guerrilla warfare against the Germans. In July 1944, under the cover of his code-name Dorset, Major Colin Ogden-Smith parachuted deep behind enemy lines as the leader of Team _Francis_. Three weeks later he was dead, killed in action fighting German troops alongside his French comrades so that others could make their escape. Seventy years on, the French community still remembers the gallant Major Anglais.

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For half a millennium, throughout almost the entire medieval period, the Catholic church sanctioned military campaigns against what it perceived as its enemies. The rise of Islam and its spread across large parts of the Middle East, Asia, North Africa and even the peripheries of Europe, saw Muslim warriors seize the Holy Land, occupy Jerusalem and threaten Constantinople. In response, Pope Urban II advocated a crusade to retake the Holy Land -the first of nine military campaigns that stretched over the succeeding 200 years. Other, lesser-known crusades were subsequently mounted with the aim of Christianising the more remote regions of northern and north-eastern Europe, as well as against the Cathars in southern France. The advance of the Ottomans into the Balkans saw further crusades to halt the Muslims in Bosnia and Serbia, and the re-conquest of Spain from the Muslim Moors. Such diverse theatres of conflict have resulted in an equally diverse number of relics still to be found in a score of countries. From magnificent castles, swords, artillery and coats of arms, to Crusader-struck coins and even the brass pen box used by Muslim writers to spread the word of Islam, this remarkable collection of artefacts and structures tells the story, much of it largely forgotten, of the conflicts which shaped the nature of the Western World known today, both in spiritual and geographical terms. Beautifully illustrated and written by acknowledged period expert James Waterson, _The Crusades in 100 Objects_ opens a window into the past as never seen before.

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In the early 1930s the tramcar in Blackpool was at a crossroads; the system needed investment in both new track and new trams whilst there was a serious threat that the 'town' routes - as elsewhere in Britain as operators faced the same challenges - might have been converted to bus operation. The appointment of Walter Luff as the new general manager was, however, to prove a turning point. Working closely with English Electric, based in nearby Preston, Luff developed a series of streamlined trams - both single-deck and double-deck - that were to revolutionise the town's tramway. By the end of 1930s, the corporation had acquired more than 100 new trams - the majority built by English Electric but with 20 coming from Brush - that ensured the survival not only of the key route along the Promenade to Fleetwood but also of the bulk of the 'town' routes. Over the next 70 years these trams were to form the cornerstone of the Blackpool system. Almost from the start, when a number were modified to cater for the changed requirements during the Second World War, many of the trams were rebuilt - into the power cars that worked with the trailers, for example, or the one-man operated cars of the early 1970s - that extended their lives and saw them outlast more modern designs. It was only with the modernisation of the Blackpool system in the first decade of the 20th century that, finally, they became largely obsolete but still, as part of the heritage fleet, they remain very much part of the contemporary Blackpool scene. This book examines the history of Blackpool's streamlined trams of the 1930s from development through to preservation.

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Jo Melling has arrived in Birch End from Australia, still grieving her father's recent death. She's not intending to stay long, but after tracking down her distant family, Jo becomes more involved in village life than she could ever have imagined - and suddenly in danger too.Jo also finds herself drawn to Nick, a handsome newcomer to the village. Nick had planned to settle in Birch End and start a business, but as he grows closer to Jo, he realises he may have to choose between his dreams and a chance at love.Meanwhile, the new local council are faced with some tough decisions of their own. It's time to take a stand against the poor conditions in Backshaw Moss, the nearby slum, but some councillors want things to stay as they are - and will go to any lengths to make sure they get their way . . .Will the decent people of the valley win a brighter future for themselves? And can Jo find a way to stay with Nick in a place she's grown to love?Readers are loving A DAUGHTER'S JOURNEY!'Amazing' - 5 STARS'Thank you, Anna, for the pleasure you give in all your books' - 5 STARS'Another brilliant, hard-to-put-down book' - 5 STARS'Can't wait for the next instalment' - 5 STARS'A real page turner, I can't wait to read the next one' - 5 STARS'Another triumph for Anna Jacobs' - 5 STARS'BRILLIANT READ' - 5 STARS

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"Before I started juicing, I was overweight and taking medication to treat an autoimmune disease. By drinking only fresh vegetable and fruit juices while making my film Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, I lost weight, got off the medication and began to feel better than ever! Today, I still drink a lot of juice and eat a balanced diet centered on fruits and vegetables. But I've also realised that staying healthy is a lot more complex than just what you eat. I've distilled what I've learned down to 7 Keys to healthy and happiness. Paying attention to these 7 keys helps me thrive." JOE CROSSIn Reboot with Joe: Fully Charged, Joe Cross shares what he's learned about staying healthy in an unhealthy world since filming Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. Whether you've followed the Reboot diet and are looking for help in sustaining your success or looking for advice that will help you lose weight and adopt a healthy lifestyle, this book is full of inspiration and encouragement, as well as practical tips for diet, exercise and mindfulness.1. Change Your Relationship to Food (Don't Abuse The Food)2. Change Your Diet (Eat the Right Stuff)3. Change Your Habits About Food (Find A New Groove)4. Embrace Community (Get a Little Help From Your Friends)5. Maintain the Machine (Follow the Upkeep Manual)6. Practice Mindfulness (Chill Out)7. Respect YourselfAdopt these 7 keys and thrive!

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SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 SPORTS BOOK AWARDS'The best Everest book I've read since Into Thin Air. Synnott's climbing skills take you places few will ever dare to tread, but it's his writing that will keep you turning pages well past bedtime.' - Mark AdamsVeteran climber Mark Synnott never planned on climbing Mount Everest. But a hundred-year mystery lured him into an expedition where a history of passionate adventure, chilling tragedy, and human aspiration unfolded.George Mallory and Sandy Irvine were last seen in 1924, eight hundred feet shy of Everest's summit. A century later, we still don't know whether they achieved their goal of being first to reach the top, decades before Hillary and Norgay in 1953. Irvine carried a camera with him to record their attempt, but it, along with his body, had never been found. Did Mallory and Irvine reach the summit and take a photograph before they fell to their deaths?Mark Synnott made his own ascent up the infamous North Face to try and find Irvine's body and the camera. But during a season described as 'the one that broke Everest', an awful traffic jam of climbers at the summit resulted in tragic deaths. Synnott's quest became something bigger than the original mystery that drew him there - an attempt to understand the madness of the mountain and why it continues to have a magnetic draw on explorers.Exploring how science, business and politics have changed who climbs Everest, The Third Pole is a thrilling portrait of the mountain spanning a century.

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'Superior crime fiction set in Iceland' The Times'As chilling as an Icelandic winter' S. J. BoltonWhen a shipowner is found dead, tied to a bed in one of Reykjavik's smartest hotels, Sergeant Gunnhildur sees no evidence of foul play. However, she still suspects things are not as cut and dried as they seem and, as she investigates the shipowner's untimely demise, she stumbles across a discreet bondage society whose members are being systematically exploited and blackmailed.But how does all this connect to a local gangster recently returned to Iceland after many years abroad, and the unfortunate loss of a government laptop containing sensitive data about various members of the ruling party? What begins as a straightforward case for Gunnhildur soon explodes into a dangerous investigation, uncovering secrets that ruthless men are ready to go to violent extremes to keep.The third dark and atmospheric thriller in Quentin Bates's Icelandic crime series. A chilling page-turner perfect for fans of Jo Nesbo, Henning Mankell and Søren Sveistrup's The Chestnut Man. Praise for Quentin Bates:'A great read - leaves you craving the next installment' Yrsa Sigurðardóttir'A perfect book to curl up with in front of the fire' The Bookbag'Well written and absorbing' Woman's Way'Captures the chilly spirit of Nordic crime fiction . . . Fans of Arnaldur Indridason's Reykjavík mysteries will want to add Bates to their reading lists' Booklist'[A] crackling fiction debut ... palpable authenticity' Publishers Weekly'A superb new series' Eurocrime

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A cosy Dandy Gilver mystery set in 1920s Scotland. For fans of PG Wodehouse, Alexander McCall Smith and Agatha Christie.'1920s lady detective Dandy Gilver lands a sleuthing gig in a setting straight out of Enid Blyton,. Cosier than a pair of WI-knitted mittens, Corpses serves up murder most foul - and is also good for several giggles.' TIME OUT Before she was a detective, before she was a reluctant wife and distracted mother, before she was even a debutante, Dandy Gilver spent one perfect summer with the Lipscotts of Pereford. The golden memories of it have sustained her through many a cold snap in Perthshire. So when two of the Lipscott sisters beg her to help the third, she can hardly refuse. Sweet, pretty Fleur Lipscott: where is she now? The astonishing answer to this is that Fleur - still Miss Lipscott, indeed more Miss Lipscott than ever - is buried alive in the tiny seaside village of Portpatrick, working as a schoolmistress at St Columba's College for Young Ladies.But she is one of the few remaining, for St Columba's has been shedding mistresses as a snake its skins and the exodus is far from over. With mistresses vanishing and corpses mounting up, can Mrs Gilver, detective, pass herself off as Miss Gilver, English mistress, to solve the one and stop the other?Catriona McPherson's latest novel in the series, Dandy Gilver and a Spot of Toil and Trouble is now available for pre-order.

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'Great fun - a fantastic female protagonist taking on sixties gangland London interwoven with a true life serial killer storyline. A cracking read' HARRIET TYCE'A sharp and intelligent gangland thriller, and Faith Diamond is a shrewd and steely woman navigating a fraught path through a world of violent men... a top notch read' DOMINIC NOLANWhen secrets and lies run in the family, who can you trust?Life is tough for Faith Diamond. Growing up on the wrong side of London, with a family incapable of staying on the right side of the law, her future has only ever been about survival. But then a series of prostitutes are found murdered: strangled and stripped naked. The only thread linking the bodies is pimp Marshall Vella - a man connected in more ways than one with the Diamond family. Now Faith is forced to consider the possibility that the people she fights to protect might be involved in something more evil than even she could have imagined... A new gritty gangland thriller based on a true - and still unsolved - string of murders...* * * * * * * Praise for Niki Mackay:'Dark, gripping, unexpected. Insanely good - like, Dark Places good' ELLE CROFT'Brilliantly plotted, tense and atmospheric' RACHAEL BLOK'Cracking thriller and a great female protagonist' C.J. TUDOR'Grips you from the first line through to the nail-biting conclusion. Psychological suspense at its best' VICTORIA SELMAN'Absolutely gripping' DAME JENNI MURRAY

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'Ferociously smart.' AJ Finn'Another page-turning cracker' BA ParisFIRST DATES CAN BE MURDER...Laura has never been lucky in love. She falls too hard and too fast, always choosing the wrong men. Devastated by the end of her last relationship, she fled her apartment for her sister's home in the suburb where they both grew up. Though still haunted by the tragedy that's defined her entire life, Laura is determined to take one more chance on love with a man she's met on an Internet dating site.Rosie has spent most of her life worrying about her troubled sister. Laura's return, under mysterious circumstances, has cast a shadow over Rosie's peaceful life with her husband and young son - a shadow that grows darker as Laura leaves the house for her blind date.When Laura doesn't return home the following morning, Rosie fears the worst. She's not responding to calls or texts, and she's left no information about the man she planned to meet. As Rosie begins a desperate search to find her sister, she is not just worried about what this man might have done to Laura. She's worried about what Laura may have done to him...'Riveting.' Riley Sager 'Addictive.' Liv Constantine 'Wonderfully tense.' Aimee Molloy 'Irresistible.' Mary Kubica 'Impossible to put down.' Megan Miranda

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Everyone from Sir Paul McCartney and Jimmy Page to Queens of the Stone Age now relishes the chance to share a stage with Dave Grohl and his legendary Foo Fighters. The question is: why? Musical depth? Not really. Major success? Well, yes. Despite no longer shifting albums in the same quantity as they did twenty years ago, this band can still fill stadiums the world over (when Dave's not breaking his leg, of course).Long before Kurt Cobain blew his brains out in 1994, Dave Grohl was planning for a life after Nirvana. The unflinching bright sunlight to Cobain's permanent midnight darkness, Grohl had come from a similar broken home to his erstwhile band leader, but came out of the experience differently - brimming with positivity and a shrewd grasp of opportunities in the music industry.Did Grohl merely take the sonic blueprint of Nirvana and embellish it with a more life-affirming pop sheen? Of course he did. Every band in America that sold over a million records in the post-grunge 90s did the same. The difference was that Grohl had real credibility. And he knew it.With exclusive testimony from true insiders (including Krist Novoselic, Grohl's bass-playing partner in Nirvana, ex-girlfirends, record company executives, tour photographers and confidantes), this book is an exploration of the real story behind Grohl and the Foo Fighters - the only serious literary biography of the group and its leader, one of the most famous and critically bulletproof rock figures of the 21st century.

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One split second is all it can take . . .Jack Ryan, Jr. finds himself at the scene of a conspiracy to bring the world to the brink of war in the South China sea in the latest breathtaking Tom Clancy thriller.Jack Ryan, Jr. is in a world of trouble. A mid-air collision between aircraft from rival nations in the South China Sea threatens to serve as a flash point for the entire region. As Jack frantically tries to put the pieces of the conspiracy together, the Campus is hit with a crippling attack. When the dust settles, Jack is one of the few operators still standing and the Campus's de facto leader.But the fight is just beginning.As tensions escalate, Jack's mysterious adversary executes a brilliant campaign to paralyze the American government even as China inches closer to invading Taiwan. With the odds stacked against him and no help in sight, Jack and his shattered team must stop the world's two remaining super powers from stumbling into war even as the noose around the Campus grows ever tighter.Every operation has a cost. This time the bill might just be too much to pay.PRAISE FOR TOM CLANCY'Constantly taps the current world situation for its imminent dangers and spins them into an engrossing tale'New York Times'Heart-stopping action . . . entertaining and eminently topical'Washington Post'A virtuoso display of page-turning talent'Sunday Express'Exhilarating. No other novelist is giving so full a picture of modern conflict'Sunday Times'A brilliantly constructed thriller that packs a punch'Daily Mail

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Discover the classic mystery from Dick Francis, one of the greatest thriller writers of all time'You will be hard pushed to find a better storyteller. A brilliant read' 5***** Reader Review'Fast and furious . . . Thrills and spills from start to finish' 5***** Reader Review______Rob Finn's winning streak made him one of the most sought-after steeplechase jockeys. So his subsequent collapse in form surprised no one more than himself. As word spreads that Finn has lost his nerve, he discovers a well-managed campaign to discredit certain jockeys; in his own case, a plan assisted by horse doping. To find the culprits behind it, Finn will have to put everything on the line . . .Packed with intrigue and hair-raising suspense, Nerve is just one of the many blockbuster thrillers from legendary crime writer Dick Francis.Praise for Dick Francis:'As a jockey, Dick Francis was unbeatable when he got into his stride. The same is true of his crime writing' Daily Mirror'The narrative is brisk and gripping and the background researched with care . . . the entire story is a pleasure to relish' Scotsman'Dick Francis's fiction has a secret ingredient - his inimitable knack of grabbing the reader's attention on page one and holding it tight until the very end' Sunday Telegraph'A regular winner . . . as smooth, swift and lean as ever' Sunday Express'The master of suspense and intrigue' Country Life'Francis writing at his best' Evening Standard'Still the master' Racing Post

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The Vikings and sainthood are not concepts normally found side by side. But Norway's King Olaf II Haraldsson (c. 995-1030) embodied both to an extraordinary degree. As a battle-eager teenager he almost single-handedly pulled down London Bridge (as in the nursery rhyme) and took part in many other Viking raids . Olaf lacked none of the traditional Viking qualities of toughness and audacity, yet his routine baptism grew into a burning missionary faith that was all the more remarkable for being combined with his typically Viking determination and energy - and sometimes ruthlessness as well. His overriding mission was to Christianize Norway and extirpate heathenism. His unstinting efforts, often at great peril to his life, earned him the Norwegian throne in 1015, when he had barely reached his twenties. For the next fifteen years he laboured against immense odds to subdue the rebellious heathen nobles of Norway while fending off Swedish hostility. Both finally combined against Olaf in 1030, when he fell bravely in battle not far from Trondheim, still only in his mid-thirties. After his body was found to possess healing powers, and reports of them spread from Scandinavia to Spain and Byzantium, Olaf II was canonized a saint 134 years later. He remains Norway's patron saint as well as a legendary warrior. Yet more remarkably, he remains a saint not only of the Protestant church but also of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches - perhaps the only European fighting saint to achieve such acceptance.

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Evidence of the foulness and cruelty of the greatest catastrophe ever to hit London is still being unearthed under the streets of the capital today. The fresh plague pits containing thousands of skeletons uncovered during the construction of Crossrail are a reminder of the painful, drawn-out death suffered by Londoners as pustules and abscesses broke out all over their bodies. Plague has been a scourge of mankind since its onset in the sixth century. Its distinctive and repulsive symptoms, the excruciatingly painful effects inflicted on its victims, with a very high mortality rate, evoked a fear and repulsion that was caused by no other disease. Attempts to control its spread proved futile. The second plague pandemic in Europe began when the disease reached Sicily in October 1347. From there it spread remorselessly across the entire continent and erupted in London in the autumn of 1348, killing at least one-third, and perhaps one-half, of its inhabitants. As the largest city in England, London suffered a higher death-toll than any other community during the many subsequent outbreaks. Tudor and Stuart London was a city afflicted by plague, yet its population continued to grow inexorably, as it drew people from the rest of the country to replace the losses. Plague’s last visitation came in 1665 and was its most destructive, claiming at least 70,000 victims in the space of just eight months and becoming known as the Great Plague. The legacy of plague has been a dread that has scarcely been overcome even today.

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This is the story of a man who went from Yorkshire mill worker to Monte Carlo millionaire. Amongst the men ‘who broke the bank at Monte Carlo’, Joseph Hobson Jagger is unique. He is the only one known to have devised an infallible and completely legal system to defeat the odds at roulette and win a fortune. But he was not what might be expected. He wasn’t a gentleman or an aristocrat, he wasn’t a professional gambler, he was a Yorkshire textile worker who had laboured in the Victorian mills of Bradford since childhood. What led a man like this to travel nearly a thousand miles to the exclusive world of the Riviera when most people lived and died within a few miles of where they were born? The trains that took him there were still new and dangerous, he did not speak French and had never left the north of England. His motivation was strong. Joseph, his wife and four children, the youngest of whom was only two, faced a situation so grave that their only escape seemed to be his desperate gamble on the roulette tables of Monte Carlo. Today Jagger’s legacy is felt in casinos worldwide and yet he is virtually unknown. Anne Fletcher is his great-great-great niece and in this true-life detective story she uncovers how he was able to win a fortune, what happened to his millions and why Jagger should now be regarded as the real ‘man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo’.

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A rediscovered mountaineering classic and the extraordinary true story of a daring escape up Mount Kenya by three prisoners of war.When the clouds covering Mount Kenya part one morning to reveal its towering peaks for the first time, prisoner of war Felice Benuzzi is transfixed. The tedium of camp life is broken by the beginnings of a sudden idea - an outrageous, dangerous, brilliant idea.There are not many people who would break out of a P.O.W. camp, trek for days across perilous terrain before climbing the north face of Mount Kenya with improvised equipment, meagre rations, and with a picture of the mountain on a tin of beef among their more accurate guides. There are probably fewer still who would break back in to the camp on their return.But this is the remarkable story of three such men. No Picnic on Mount Kenya is a powerful testament to the human spirit of revolt and adventure in even the darkest of places."The history of mountaineering can hardly present a parallel to this mad but thrilling escapade" - Saturday Review"A most extraordinary prisoner-of-war and escape story" - New Yorker"A mad venture and a gallant tribute to man's deep yearning for freedom" - Kirkus Reviews"The book crackles with the same dry humour as its title. It contains the prison-yard bartering and candlelight stitching that mark a classic jailbreak yarn; the encounters with wild beasts in Mount Kenya's forest belt are as gripping, and the descriptions of sparkling glaciers as awe-inspiring, as any passage in the great exploration diaries of the early 20th century" - The Economist

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NADIA KNOWS BEST is an unputdownable romance from the Sunday Times bestselling Jill Mansell, whose novels are must-reads for fans of Cathy Kelly and Lucy Diamond.When Nadia Kinsella meets Jay Tiernan, and the weather traps them in a remote Cotswold pub, she's tempted, of course she is. But Nadia's already met The One. She and Laurie have been together for years - they're practically childhood sweethearts and she still gets butterflies in her stomach at the sight of him. Okay, so maybe she doesn't see that much of him these days, but that's not Laurie's fault. She can't betray him. Besides, when you belong to a family like the Kinsellas - bewitchingly glamorous grandmother Miriam, feckless mother Leonie, stop-at-nothing sister Clare - well, someone has to exercise a bit of self-control, don't they? I mean, you wouldn't want to do something that you might later regret...What readers are saying about Nadia Knows Best: 'I couldn't put it down! I was immediately drawn into the lives of this one beautifully flawed and unusual family. I now want to read every book Jill Mansell has ever written' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'A fantastic book that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. Nadia's life is presented in a way anyone could relate to and really hits at the heart' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars'Funny, witty, heart-warming and endearing' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars

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Sparkling sea, sun, delicious food and Aperol Spritz - escape to Italy with the perfect summer romance . . .Niamh Kelly's life hasn't turned out quite as she'd expected. She's thirty-three, still living at home and was recently dumped . . . by her boss. So when her sister invites her to tag along on a work trip to the sun-drenched Italian coast, Niamh jumps at the chance, eager to escape into a world of sparkling prosecco, delicious food, and breath-taking beaches.Upon her arrival, Niamh immediately falls in love with the beautiful Italian town they're staying in and realises she never wants to leave, deciding instead to stay and open up a quaint coffee shop nestled in charming old town streets - even if she has no idea what she's doing. But when a family tragedy and a tricky tourist season threaten her new business, Niamh isn't so sure she can stick it out.With help from her new-found Italian friends - and the possibility of romance on the horizon - can she make her new life in the sun a success?A glorious and uplifting escapist novel set against the stunning backdrop of the Italian coast. The perfect holiday read for fans of Rosanna Ley, Jo Thomas and Karen SwanReaders LOVE The Italian Escape:'This book is the perfect escape. Curl up and enjoy''Beautifully written . . . I just wanted the experience to go on for longer''I really enjoyed this book . . . recommended holiday reading'

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Charles Darwin's masterpiece, On the Origin of Species, shook society to its core on publication in 1859. Darwin was only too aware of the storm his theory of evolution would provoke but he would surely have raised an incredulous eyebrow at the controversy still raging a century and a half later. Evolution is accepted as scientific fact by all reputable scientists and indeed theologians, yet millions of people continue to question its veracity.In The Greatest Show on Earth Richard Dawkins takes on creationists, including followers of 'Intelligent Design' and all those who question the fact of evolution through natural selection. Like a detective arriving on the scene of a crime, he sifts through fascinating layers of scientific facts and disciplines to build a cast-iron case: from the living examples of natural selection in birds and insects; the 'time clocks' of trees and radioactive dating that calibrate a timescale for evolution; the fossil record and the traces of our earliest ancestors; to confirmation from molecular biology and genetics. All of this, and much more, bears witness to the truth of evolution.The Greatest Show on Earth comes at a critical time: systematic opposition to the fact of evolution is now flourishing as never before, especially in America. In Britain and elsewhere in the world, teachers witness insidious attempts to undermine the status of science in their classrooms. Richard Dawkins provides unequivocal evidence that boldly and comprehensively rebuts such nonsense. At the same time he shares with us his palpable love of the natural world and the essential role that science plays in its interpretation. Written with elegance, wit and passion, it is hard-hitting, absorbing and totally convincing.

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***OVER A MILLION COPIES OF THE IRON DRUID BOOKS SOLD***'American Gods meets Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden' SFF WorldAfter twelve years of secret training, Atticus O'Sullivan is finally ready to bind his apprentice, Granuaile, to the earth and double the number of Druids in the world. But on the eve of the ritual, the world that thought he was dead abruptly discovers that he's still alive, and they would much rather he return to the grave.Having no other choice, Atticus, his trusted Irish wolfhound, Oberon, and Granuaile travel to the base of Mount Olympus, where the Roman god Bacchus is anxious to take his sworn revenge - but he'll have to get in line behind an ancient vampire, a band of dark elves, and an old god of mischief, who all seem to have KILL THE DRUID at the top of their to-do lists.Praise for the Iron Druid Chronicles:'Atticus and his crew are a breath of fresh air! . . . I love, love, love this series' My Bookish Ways'Entertaining, steeped in a ton of mythology, populated by awesome characters' Civilian Reader'This is one series no fantasy fan should miss. Mystery, suspense, magic and mayhem' SciFiChickThe Iron Druid ChroniclesHounded Hexed HammeredTrickedTrappedHuntedShatteredStakedScourgedBesieged (short stories)HAVE YOU TRIED . . .Kevin Hearne's epic fantasy novel A PLAGUE OF GIANTS - described by Delilah S. Dawson as 'a rare masterpiece that's both current and timeless . . . merging the fantasy bones of Tolkien and Rothfuss with a wide cast of characters who'll break your heart'. Out now!

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'Sexy chemistry and gut-wrenching emotions kept me turning the pages!' Kristen Proby'Mysterious, all-consuming and pretty damn good' Closer Dahlia McGuire likes her quiet life in Hartwell, Delaware. The small, friendly town is the perfect place to hide from her family and the tragic events that led to their estrangement. But when the person she loves most in the world, her father, needs her, Dahlia must return to Boston to face her ghosts. And that includes her ex-boyfriend's best friend, Michael Sullivan: the man she was never supposed to fall in love with.Michael Sullivan has never forgotten Dahlia McGuire. Some might say he's never gotten over her. For years he lived with the anger of her desertion, and now, newly-divorced, he's finally ready to move on - until Dahlia suddenly returns. Despite everything, Michael still wants her, but Dahlia can't seem to let go of the tangled emotions of the past. It's time for truths left unsaid to finally be spoken, or Michael and Dahlia might find themselves torn apart forever . . .Discover why Samantha Young is known as 'Scotland's E. L. James' 'A true gift for storytelling' Daily Record'[Young] is a goddess when it comes to writing hot scenes' Once Upon a Twilight'It took over my life until I finished reading it' Gemma Alice on The One Real Thing, Netgalley

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'Unapologetically romantic, wonderfully sexy, always brilliant' Ali Hazelwood'The perfect book to lift your spirits' Beth O'Leary------Tara Chen has had her heart broken ten times, by ten different men. Nevertheless, she is still determined to find her perfect match. The only problem? Tara is a romance novel obsessive, and her standards are sky high.Modern dating apps have killed the meet-cute, so Tara decides to revisit her exes - all ten of them - in the hope of finding her very own trope-worthy second-chance romance. And every heroine needs a sidekick, so she enlists her new flatmate, firefighter Trevor.Trevor Metcalfe is the first to rush into a burning building but the last to rush into a relationship. Love just isn't his thing. But, the more time they spend together, the more Trevor appreciates Tara's authentic, dramatic self.Can they break the habits of a lifetime and give their spark a chance?------'Sparkles with Amy's signature sweetness and steam' Carley Fortune, Every Summer After'An outright, unmitigated delight' Christina Lauren, The Unhoneymooners'Every rom-com reader's dream' Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, The Roughest Draft'The tension is chef's kiss!' Sarah Adams, When in Rome'Sexy and sweet with a pitch-perfect slow burn romance' Catherine Walsh, Holiday Romance'A perfect mix of relatable characters, hilarious banter and steam' Lily Chu, The Stand-In'Delicious, funny and emotional' Cressida McLauchlin, The Cornish Cream Tea Bookshop

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‘About the months leading up to Evie’s death, indeed, about the aftermath, I made a solemn vow to keep silent, and I like to think I take promises seriously. Despite what happened to Evie, I still think of those months I spent in the company of her and Richard, Ivo, Charlie and Piers as fondly as I remember anything. That we swore an oath to silence is not, necessarily, a sign of guilt. You should remember that we are the kind of people who take oaths seriously and we had more things binding us together than mere promises.’ ~ Littlemore College is in a picturesque village just outside Oxford. Its calm surroundings have seen generations of aspirant priests pray and train. As far as the outside world is concerned, human passions are restrained by devotion to a higher calling. But this is the 1990s and women are training for the priesthood for the very first time. Passions are running high and at Littlemore College’s enclosed and febrile heart, a small group of brilliant young ordinands, the favoured students of the charismatic and controversial Medievalist, Professor Albertus Loewe, are asking themselves some very dangerous questions. When Catherine Bolton arrives with her freshly-minted doctorate on Chaucer and the Church, Dr Loewe and his secretive group of students represent an irresistible challenge to her and her new friend Evie Kirkland. But just as Evie is not quite the friend she seems to be, so too the medieval passions of Dr Loewe’s group are more far reaching and intense than she could ever have imagined.

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Marilyn Monroe has been gone for over sixty years, and yet people are still talking about her. What, exactly, is the spell she casts on so many? Stunning, exciting to watch, incredibly famous, Monroe lived a very public life and died young, with a sad suddenness. All of this is true, and yet there is so much more to her story. On Marilyn Monroe: An Opinionated Guide looks past the sensation to the real legacy -her richly varied body of work. Both during her life and following her death, Monroe was dismissed as more of a phenomenon than an actor, often an object of ridicule instead of a performer whose work could be taken seriously. Even when films such as The Seven Year Itch and Some Like It Hot saw immense success, Monroe seldom got her due as the inventive and accomplished performer she was. The truth that lay behind the dazzling surface was that she was one of the hardest working of actors. Rigorously applying both skillful technique and an inherent charisma, she was able to create truly unforgettable performances. In this lively guide, Richard Barrios looks beyond the ballyhoo and legend at Monroe's best-known films, and some that even today remain obscure. Besides her films, it also addresses the work she did on television and the stage, as well as her underrated abilities as a vocalist. Both an informative study and a perceptive critical assessment, On Marilyn Monroe: An Opinionated Guide gives this brilliant performer the attention she desired-that of an artist whose work deserves both examination and celebration.

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Why are girls discouraged from doing science? Why do so many promising women leave science in early and mid-career? Why do women not prosper in the scientific workforce? Not Just For the Boys looks back at how society has historically excluded women from the scientific sphere and discourse, what progress has been made, and how more is still needed. Athene Donald, herself a distinguished physicist, explores societal expectations during both childhood and working life using evidence of the systemic disadvantages women operate under, from the developing science of how our brains are--and more importantly aren't--gendered, to social science evidence around attitudes towards girls and women doing science. It also discusses how science is done in practice, in order to dispel common myths: for example, the perception that science is not creative, or that it is carried out by a lone genius in an ivory tower, myths that can be very off-putting to many sections of the population. A better appreciation of the collaborative, creative, and multi-disciplinary nature of science is likely to lead to its appeal to a far wider swathe of people, especially women. This book examines the modern way of working in scientific research, and how gender bias operates in various ways within it, drawing on the voices of leading women in science describing their feelings and experiences. It argues the moral and business case for greater diversity in modern research, the better to improve science and tackle the great challenges we face today.

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Gogol's classic, uproarious folktale, presented in a beautiful hardcover edition perfect for giving as a gift.Written in 1831, this dark tale relates the adventures of Vakula, the blacksmith, in his fight against the devil, who has stolen the moon above the village of Dikanka and is wreaking havoc on its inhabitants, all to win the love of the most beautiful girl in town. The basis for many film and opera adaptations, and still a story traditionally read aloud to children on Christmas Eve in Ukraine and Russia, The Night Before Christmas is the best holiday tale by the man whom Vladimir Nabokov called 'the greatest writer Russia has yet produced'.Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) was the son of a Ukrainian gentleman farmer. He attended a variety of boarding schools, where he proved an indifferent student but was admired for his theatrical abilities. In 1828 he moved to St. Petersburg and began to publish stories, and by the mid-1830s he had established himself in the literary world and been warmly praised by Pushkin. In 1836, his play The Inspector-General was attacked as immoral, and he left Russia, remaining abroad for most of the next dozen years. During that time he wrote two of his best-known stories, 'The Nose' and 'The Overcoat,' and in 1842 he published the first section of his masterpiece Dead Souls. Gogol became increasingly religious as the years passed, and in 1847 he became the disciple of an Orthodox priest who influenced him to burn the second part of Dead Souls and then abandon writing altogether. After undertaking an extreme fast, he died at the age of forty-two.

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'This is a miracle of a book' George Lamming'Compelling. Stuart Hall's story is the story of an age' Owen Jones 'Sometimes I feel I was the last colonial'This is the story, in his own words, of the extraordinary life of Stuart Hall: writer, thinker and one of the leading intellectual lights of his age. Growing up in a middle-class family in 1930s Jamaica, then still a British colony, Hall found himself caught between two worlds: the stiflingly respectable middle class in Kingston, who, in their habits and ambitions, measured themselves against the white planter elite; and working-class and peasant Jamaica, neglected and grindingly poor, though rich in culture, music and history. But as colonial rule was challenged, things began to change in Jamaica and across the world.When, in 1951, a scholarship took him across the Atlantic to Oxford University, Hall encountered other Caribbean writers and thinkers, from Sam Selvon and George Lamming to V. S. Naipaul. He also forged friendships with the likes of Raymond Williams and E. P. Thompson, with whom he worked in the formidable political movement, the New Left, and developed his groundbreaking ideas on cultural theory. Familiar Stranger takes us to the heart of Hall's struggle in post-war England: that of building a home and a life in a country where, rapidly, radically, the social landscape was transforming, and urgent new questions of race, class and identity were coming to light.Told with passion and wisdom, this is a story of how the forces of history shape who we are.

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Selected as a Book of the Year in The Times Literary Supplement'This lucid and riveting new biography at once rescuses Kierkegaard from the scholars and shows why he is such an intriguing and useful figure' ObserverSøren Kierkegaard, one of the most passionate and challenging of modern philosophers, is now celebrated as the father of existentialism - yet his contemporaries described him as a philosopher of the heart. Over about a decade in the 1840s and 1850s, writings poured from his pen analysing love and suffering, courage and anxiety, religious longing and defiance, and forging a new philosophical style rooted in the inward drama of being human.As Christianity seemed to sleepwalk through a changing world, Kierkegaard dazzlingly revealed its spiritual power while exposing the poverty of official religion. His restless creativity was spurred on by his own failures: his relationship with the young woman whom he promised to marry, then left to devote himself to writing, haunted him throughout his life.Though tormented by the pressures of celebrity, he deliberately lived amidst the crowds in Copenhagen, known by everyone but, he felt, understood by no one. When he collapsed exhausted at the age of 42, he was still pursuing the question of existence: how to be a human being in this world?Clare Carlisle's innovative and moving biography writes Kierkegaard's remarkable life as far as possible from his own perspective, conveying what it was like to be this Socrates of Christendom - as he put it, living life forwards yet only understanding it backwards.

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'A book that would have had Darwin swooning - anyone seriously interested in who we are and how we function should read this.' Guardian At the beginning of this century enormous progress had been made in genetics. The Human Genome Project finished sequencing human DNA. It seemed it was only a matter of time until we had all the answers to the secrets of life on this planet.The cutting-edge of biology, however, is telling us that we still don't even know all of the questions.How is it that, despite each cell in your body carrying exactly the same DNA, you don't have teeth growing out of your eyeballs or toenails on your liver? How is it that identical twins share exactly the same DNA and yet can exhibit dramatic differences in the way that they live and grow?It turns out that cells read the genetic code in DNA more like a script to be interpreted than a mould that replicates the same result each time. This is epigenetics and it's the fastest-moving field in biology today.The Epigenetics Revolution traces the thrilling path this discipline has taken over the last twenty years. Biologist Nessa Carey deftly explains such diverse phenomena as how queen bees and ants control their colonies, why tortoiseshell cats are always female, why some plants need a period of cold before they can flower, why we age, develop disease and become addicted to drugs, and much more. Most excitingly, Carey reveals the amazing possibilities for humankind that epigenetics offers for us all - and in the surprisingly near future.

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SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2023 - SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR Sports Report is as much a 75-year history of sport as a BBC radio institution and Pat Murphy pays handsome tribute to a programme that is still followed affectionately by millions. For nearly 75 years, one BBC programme has been a constant factor in chronicling the way sport is covered, in all its many facets. It has been a window on the sporting world all over the globe – packed tightly into every Saturday evening for the bulk of the year. First broadcast in 1948, Sports Report is the longest-running radio sporting programme in the world and one of the BBC’s hardy perennials. Pat Murphy has been a reporter on the programme since 1981 and here he sifts comprehensively through the experiences of his contemporaries and those who made their mark on Sports Report in earlier decades. He hears from commentators, reporters, producers, presenters and the production teams who regularly achieved the broadcasting miracle of getting a live programme on air, without a script, adapting as the hour of news, reaction and comment unfolded. Drawing on unique access from the BBC Archives Unit, he highlights memorable moments from Sports Report, details the challenges faced in getting live interviews on air from draughty, noisy dressing-room areas and celebrates the feat of just a small production team in the studio who, somehow, get the show up and running every Saturday, with the clock ticking implacably on.

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Incredibly simple, delicious recipes that encourage healthy ageing and boost immunity, based on Manju Malhi's popular Open Age cookery classes.Whatever your age, it is beyond doubt that an active lifestyle and eating a balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health. It helps to reduces risk of disease, infection and other illnesses. But, above all, it can help you feel your best. As we get older, many of us find our appetite shrinks because our energy output lessens. However, our fundamental needs haven't changed. Even if you have a smaller appetite and require fewer calories, your body still needs the right vitamins, minerals and nutrients to sustain you. Manju Malhi wants to inspire people of all ages to enjoy the time they spend in the kitchen and view cooking as a joy instead of a chore, and she has been awarded the British Empire Medal for her work with Open Age. The Seasoned Foodie is a collection of dishes that are easy to follow and will satisfy both your dietary needs and your love of good food, however young you feel. Inside you will find simple, tasty recipes that pack maximum nutrition, such as:- Scandi-style Salmon with Pickled Potatoes- Herby Pumpkin Soup- Brazilian Black Beans- Jerk Jambalaya- Oat and Ginger CookiesThis collection of delicious recipes that encourage healthy ageing and boost immunity make you fall in love with the kitchen again.

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'Before Cliff Richard and the Shadows, there was nothing worth listening to in British music.' - John Lennon.Cliff Richard tells his story, in his own words, in his highly anticipated new autobiography.Achieving a hit in every decade since the 1950s, Cliff Richard stands alone in pop history. Coming of age in 1950s London, he began his music career at Soho's legendary 2i's Cafe, and now he's approaching his 80th birthday with record sales of over 250m and counting. Cliff Richard was a pioneer, forging the way for British rock 'n' roll with his unique sound. The original British teen idol, his incredible story takes us into the studio of TV's first pop show Oh Boy!, through 40 years of Top of the Pops, and playing live up and down the country and across the world, with a constant backdrop of screaming fans.Cliff looks back on his humble upbringing, and how he went on to fulfil his wildest dreams by becoming a pop star and even a film star. He talks about finding Christianity, reflects on the ups and downs of life in the public eye, and reveals how the false allegations against him changed his life forever. He's seen era-defining pop stars come and go, and he's still making new music, with a new project to be released this year. As a teenage Elvis-fan in Cheshunt, this may have seem a distant dream. Here's his story of how he made it all happen.

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The Tudors are England's most notorious royal family. But, as Leanda de Lisle's gripping new history reveals, they are a family still more extraordinary than the one we thought we knew. The Tudor canon typically starts with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, before speeding on to Henry VIII and the Reformation. But this leaves out the family's obscure Welsh origins, the ordinary man known as Owen Tudor who would fall (literally) into a Queen's lap--and later her bed. It passes by the courage of Margaret Beaufort, the pregnant thirteen-year-old girl who would help found the Tudor dynasty, and the childhood and painful exile of her son, the future Henry VII. It ignores the fact that the Tudors were shaped by their past--those parts they wished to remember and those they wished to forget. By creating a full family portrait set against the background of this past, de Lisle enables us to see the Tudor dynasty in its own terms, and presents new perspectives and revelations on key figures and events. De Lisle discovers a family dominated by remarkable women doing everything possible to secure its future; shows why the princes in the Tower had to vanish; and reexamines the bloodiness of Mary's reign, Elizabeth's fraught relationships with her cousins, and the true significance of previously overlooked figures. Throughout the Tudor story, Leanda de Lisle emphasizes the supreme importance of achieving peace and stability in a violent and uncertain world, and of protecting and securing the bloodline. Tudor is bristling with religious and political intrigue but at heart is a thrilling story of one family's determined and flamboyant ambition.

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In raw, poignant alternating first-person narratives, interspersed with e-mails, gay chat-room exchanges, and other fragments of a youth laid bare in the age of social media, The Lost Prayers of Ricky Graves unravels the mystery of a life in all its glory: despair and regret, humor and wonder, courage and connection. A heartbroken and humiliated Ricky Graves took the life of a classmate and himself. Five months later, the sleepy community is still in shock and mourning. Ricky’s sister, Alyssa, returns to confront her shattered, withdrawn mother and her guilt over the brother she left adrift. Mark McVitry, the lone survivor of the deadly outburst sparked by his own cruelty, is tormented by visions of Ricky’s vengeful spirit. Ricky’s surrogate older brother, Corky Meeks, grapples with doubts about the fragile boy he tried to protect but may have doomed instead. And Jeremy Little, who inadvertently became Ricky’s long-distance Internet crush despite never having met, seeks to atone for failing to hear his friend’s cries for help. For those closest to the tormented killer, shock and grief have given way to soul searching, as they’re forced to confront their broken dreams, buried desires, and missed opportunities. And in their shared search for meaning and redemption, Ricky’s loved ones find a common purpose: learning to trust their feelings, fighting for real intimacy in a world grown selfish and insincere, and fearlessly embracing all that matters most…before it’s gone from their lives.

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Long ago, the great city of Felstad sat at the centre of a magical empire. Its towering spires, labyrinthine catacombs and immense libraries were the wonder of the age, and potions, scrolls and mystical items of all descriptions poured from its workshops. Then, one cataclysmic night, a mistake was made. In some lofty tower or dark chamber, a foolish wizard unleashed a magic too powerful to control. A storm rose up, an epic blizzard that swallowed the city whole, burying it deep and leaving the empire as nothing more than a vast, frozen wasteland. The empire shattered, and the magic of the world faded. As the centuries came and went, Felstad passed from history to legend and on into myth. Only a few wizards, clinging to the last remnants of magical knowledge, still believed that the lost city had ever actually existed. But their faith was rewarded. After a thousand years, the fell winter has passed. The snows have receded, and Felstad has been uncovered. Its buildings lie in ruins, overrun by undead creatures and magical constructs, the legacy of the empire’s experiments. It is an evil, dangerous place. To the few hardy souls who inhabit the nearby villages, the city has acquired a new name, ‘Frostgrave’, and it is shunned by all right-thinking people. For those who seek power and riches, however, it is an unparalleled opportunity, a deadly maze concealing secrets of knowledge long forgotten... This new fiction anthology collects ten stories of wizards and adventures as they venture into the ruins of the Frozen City.

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Escape to Enchanted Hill in this historical mystery where two people with a dark, shared past collide while working undercover at a glittering mansion on the California coast. The year is 1930 and Cora McCavanagh is posing as a maid at Hollywood magnate Truman Byrd’s legendary estate. She’s closing in on the damning evidence she needs for a high-profile client. An aspiring PI, Cora was trained by her father, a former prison guard at the notorious Pelican Island, where Cora grew up surrounded by hardened criminals. Which is why she recognizes Jack Yates as soon as he walks through the door. The last time she saw him was on an ill-fated night that changed the course of her life and still haunts her more than a decade later. Cora never expected to see Jack again—and now a single misstep could cause both their secret identities to come crashing down. They strike a tentative truce to help each other during a week of parties overflowing with champagne and caviar. But there are puzzles hidden in every corner of Truman Byrd’s labyrinthine estate, and if Cora is to finally learn the truth about Jack Yates, she must unravel a sinister history that the rich and powerful will do anything to keep concealed.Filled with intrigue and Old Hollywood glamour, Enchanted Hill is an unforgettable historical romance set in a world you won’t want to leave, and is perfect for fans of historical fiction books like the Molly Murphy Mysteries, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and Kate Morton books.

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In her second collection of poetry, Learning to See in Three Dimensions, Pamela Spiro Wagner takes us deep into an exploration of the human condition by delving into the worlds of relationships, religion, nature, and mental health. In each poem—and through each intense piece of original artwork included in the book—we are led up to a line and dared to cross it into a new paradigm of understanding the world. In "Mosaic" we are challenged to understand "assembling beauty from broken things"; in "State Property" we are led to consider how with "one aching brick at a time, / some walls are built, others are torn down…"; in "Friday Night Vigil" we must reconcile "How lovely the world is, although it's dying." Just as powerful and original as Wagner's insights is her description: "like the poplar / still spilling her yellow dress / to the insistent fingertips of fall" in "When I Lose You" and in "Afterwards, What the Mother Said," in which Wagner writes of the mother of a jihadist martyr, "But had I known of his plans / I would have taken a blade, sliced open my heart and crammed him deep inside. // I would have seamed it tight to seal him in. / I would have never let him go." In this rich, full collection, Wagner's poetry pulls us into new territory through her alternating playfulness, hope, and, especially in the superb section Poems In Which I Speak Frankly, courage, a courage from which we all have much to learn.

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