Search results for ""ORION""
Orion Publishing Co Where'd You Go, Bernadette
'Like A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD written by Tina Fey' Sam Baker, RED MAGAZINEShortlisted for the 2013 Women's Prize for FictionA NEW YORK TIMES bestsellerCOMING SOON: The film adaptation, directed by Richard Linklater and starring Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig and Billy Crudup Bernadette Fox is notorious. To Elgie Branch, a Microsoft wunderkind, she's his hilarious, volatile, talented, troubled wife. To fellow mothers at the school gate, she's a menace. To design experts, she's a revolutionary architect. And to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, quite simply, mum. Then Bernadette disappears. And Bee must take a trip to the end of the earth to find her.WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE is a compulsively readable, irresistibly written, deeply touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's place in the world.
£9.04
Orion Publishing Co All in Scarlet Uniform
The fourth novel in a brilliant Napoleonic series from acclaimed historian Adrian Goldsworthy.The year is 1809, and the recruiting sergeants are hard at work, as the British army gathers strength for the next phase of the campaign against Bonaparte on the Spanish Peninsula. Captain Billy Pringle of the 106th Foot, however, has a somewhat more urgent reason to leave the country: having become embroiled in an ill-advised duel with a lieutenant in the 14th Light Dragoons, a posting to Spain would avoid any awkwardness for the regiment.Along with his friend Lieutenant Williams - whose sister Kitty was the cause of the duel - and the doughty veteran Sergeant Dobson, Pringle takes on the task of training Spanish troops to stand alongside their British allies. But what seems at first like easy duty soon turns into a desperate fight for survival as they find themselves besieged in the strategic fortress of Cuidad Rodrigo. For Bonaparte, taking the fortress will be the first step towards pushing the British back to the sea, and the task is entrusted to one of his most daring and successful generals, Marshal Ney. And Ney in his turn has found the perfect officer to lead the assault, a man not only desperate for advancement but also thirsting for revenge - a man whom Williams knows only too well.
£9.99
Orion Publishing Co American Dervish: From the winner of the Pulitzer Prize
THE EXPLOSIVE NOVEL FROM PULITZER PRIZE WINNER AYAD AKHTAR'Terrific' The Times'Extraordinary' Sunday Express'A great American story' MetroHOW OFTEN DOES SOMEONE YOU MEET TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE?Hayat Shah was captivated by Mina long before he met her: his mother's beautiful, brilliant friend is a family legend. When he learns that Mina is leaving Pakistan to live with the Shahs in America, Hayat is thrilled.Hayat's father is less enthusiastic. Ever wary of fundamentalism, he doesn't relish the idea of Mina's fervid devotion under his roof. What no one expects is that when Mina shows Hayat the beauty of the Quran, it will utterly transform him.Mina's real magic may be that the Shah household becomes a happy one. But when Mina catches the eye of a Jewish doctor and family friend, Hayat's jealousy is inflamed by the community's anti-Semitism - and he acts with catastrophic consequences for those he loves most. A DEVASTATINGLY MOVING NOVEL FROM ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST EXCITING WRITERSA Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the YearA Globe and Mail Best Book of the YearA Shelf Awareness Best Book of the YearAn O, the Oprah Magazine Book of the Year
£9.04
Orion Publishing Co The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
In the overcrowded world and cramped space colonies of the late twenty-first century, tedium can be endured through the use of the drug Can-D, which enables the user to inhabit a shared illusory world.But when industrialist Palmer Eldritch returns from an interstellar trip, he brings with him a new drug, Chew-Z, which is far more potent than Can-D. But could the permanent state of drugged illusion it induces be part of something much more sinister?
£9.99
Orion Publishing Co Serenade
'Cain has established a formidable reputation of furious pace, harsh and masterful realism, tough, raw speech right out of the mouths of the people' SATURDAY REVIEWSerenade is the story of the eternal triangle - with a difference. John Howard Sharp is an American opera singer down on his luck, having just bombed in Rigoletto in Mexico City when he first encounters the beautiful Mexican-Indian prostitute called Juana. Miraculously, she offers him the chance to rebuild his career in Hollywood and New York but then Winston Hawes, the young, rich and well-connected conductor who had first launched Sharp, comes back into his life with terrible consequences.
£9.04
Orion Publishing Co Alfred, Lord Tennyson: An outstanding collection of his best-loved poems
Tennyson was one of the true great Victorian poets - much of his work is known throughout the world:'Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die''Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all'His genius is expressed through the precision and delicacy of the language of his lyrical poems. Some of his words were engraved in the 2012 Olympic village and his early poetry was a major influence on and inspiration for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Tennyson initially declined a baronetcy - indeed, he wrote a substantial amount of unoffical political poetry. To this day, he remains one of Britain's most popular poets.'No man ever got very high by pulling other people down... Don't knock your friends. Don't knock your enemies. Don't knock yourself' Tennyson
£7.78
Orion Publishing Co Aircrew: The Story of the Men Who Flew the Bombers
A vivid, first-hand account of the tension and excitement of flying missions over Nazi GermanyThe British and American bomber crews of the Second World War often had to endure the most terrifying conditions. Not for them the glorious, all-or-nothing exhilaration of the Battle of Britain pilots - rather, the slow dwindling of courage as mission followed mission, the long, freezing, ear-shattering journey to the target, the bursting flak, the prowling night fighters. Then, if they were lucky, the long haul home, sometimes nursing a battered, barely flyable machine, often perilously short of fuel.Bruce Lewis flew in thirty-six such raids. In this book he records, in his own words and those of his fellow survivors, the events that made operational flying such a fearful experience.This is a blisteringly honest account of life for the Second World War bombers.
£10.99
Orion Publishing Co The Mistletoe Bride and Other Haunting Tales: A deliciously haunting collection of ghost stories
I hear someone coming. It has happened before . . . Rooted in the elemental landscapes of Sussex, Brittany and the Languedoc, here are tales of ghosts and spirits seeking revenge, of grief-stricken women and haunted men coming to terms with their destiny. Atmospheric and unforgettable, The Mistletoe Bride is a collection of stories inspired by ghost stories, folk tales and legends, from one of our most captivating writers.'These eerie tales are perfect for stormy winter darkness' Daily Mail'A master of the short form' Stylist'A powerful storyteller with an abundant imagination' Daily Telegraph
£9.99
Orion Publishing Co Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey
'Literally changed the course of my life' James Murphy'The chapter on Larry Levan alone transformed me into wanting to be your favorite DJ' Questlove'The original and still the best' Gilles Peterson'We can't tell the story of dance music without speaking the names of Sharon White and Judy Weinstein, so I welcome this vital update' The Blessed MadonnaWhen someone says, 'You have to know your history...' this is it. This classic book is the whole unruly story of dance music in one volume. It recreates the dancefloors that made history, conjuring their atmosphere with loving detail and bringing you the voices of the DJs and clubbers at their heart - from grime, garage, house, hip hop and disco, to techno, soul, reggae, rock'n'roll, and EDM. Whether musical outlaw, obsessive crate-digger or overpaid superstar, the DJ has been at the spinning centre of nightlife for a century, making parties wilder, pushing clubbers harder, and driving music into completely new shapes and styles. In 1999 this was the first book to do justice to the DJ's rollercoaster ride. Twenty years later, it's fully refreshed, carefully updated and filled with even more stories, including two brand new chapters. This edition comes with a new foreword by James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem).
£27.00
Orion Publishing Co Brontes: Selected Poems
The Bronte sisters lives and works have become modern-day cultural touchstones.Emily Bronte, best known for her novel WUTHERING HEIGHTS, began writing poetry first and, before her untimely death, wrote some of the most touching and emotive poems which often reflected the landscape of her Yorkshire home.Charlotte Bronte, whose novel JANE EYRE has had numerous TV and film adaptations, took responsibility for finding a home for their work. In her own words, ' We had very early cherished the dream of one day becoming authors'.Anne Bronte, author of AGNES GREY, often used autobiographical elements in her poems, giving us a hints of the struggles and turmoil of her life.These poems offer glimpses of the joys and sorrows of the Brontes and are a beautifully compelling introduction to their writing and lives.
£7.78
Orion Publishing Co Emily Dickinson: A selection of poems from one of America’s most iconic poets
American poet Emily Dickinson is revered around the world, and influenced many feminist artists and writers. Her work is some of the best known and most quoted or adapted:'Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all' Emily DickinsonDickinson received a very good education, but chose to return home to Amherst, Massachusetts, where she spent the rest of her life, writing more than a poem a day until her death. Her refusal to compromise her highly condensed expression meant that only a tiny fraction of her work was published in her lifetime. Even today, her work feels startlingly modern:'Dogs are better than human beings because they know but do not tell' Emily Dickinson'The dearest ones of time, the strongest friends of the soul - BOOKS'This is a superb collection from a truly iconic poet.
£7.78
Orion Publishing Co Call the Midwife - A Labour of Love: Celebrating ten years of life, love and laughter
An intimate and engrossing celebration of the first ten years of the beloved TV series Call the Midwife.Learn the up-close and personal story of Call the Midwife as told by the cast and crew. Call the Midwife: A Labour of Love is a moving journey through the iconic series and features personal reflections, photos of fan-favourite moments, and anecdotes and insights from co-stars, producers, technical crew, and guests.Each chapter, spanning each of the ten years of Call the Midwife - set from 1957-1966 - takes a deep dive into the themes, locations, fun times and technical challenges from each season. Author Stephen McGann, who plays the indefatigable Dr Turner, intersperses personal interviews with key cast and crew about their feelings, thoughts, and memories of filming key moments of the drama.MUST-HAVE FOR ALL FANS: From Trixie's mod outfits to the Buckle's courtship to Sister Monica Julienne's wise words, fans of Call the Midwife will revel in favourite moments, images, stories and quotes.EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS: Includes original interviews and reflections from the cast and crew.LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED: With stunning photos from both behind and in front of the camera, Call the Midwife: A Labour of Love reveals rare behind-the-scenes moments and captures favourite scenes.FROM THE DESK OF DR TURNER: Author and actor Stephen McCann has played beloved Dr Patrick Turner on all ten seasons of Call the Midwife and offers an insiders' perspective and unprecedented access to the cast and creators.
£20.00
Orion Publishing Co Cerys Matthews' Under Milk Wood: An Illustrated Retelling
We are not wholly bad or goodWho live our lives under Milk WoodAnd Thou, I know, wilt be the firstTo see our best side, not our worst. In this enchanting illustrated adaptation, Cerys Matthews brings Dylan Thomas's beloved classic to new life. This is a bedtime story like no other; a book to be treasured by many generations; a book for babies and old men alike, for all that are young at heart. Welcome to the small seaside town of Llareggub.Here you will find dreamers, workers, singers, sinners, the young, old, blue, bold and a mix of all inbetween.Here you will meet Captain Cat and Rosie Probert, Mr Organ Morgan and Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard, NogoodBoyo, Mog and Myfanwy.Here you will watch a day in their lives play out - from a dark, moonless night to a morning that is busy as bees; from a sunny, slow lulling afternoon to a deep, drifting dusk.So, to begin at the beginning . . .
£20.00
Orion Publishing Co The Tangle
'A writer of fierce and vivid imagination. The Tangle, like Holdstock's classic Mythago Wood and Catlin's The Voorh, taps the deep resonances of the wild wood in the English soul, revering even the stones as living minds, possessed of souls and ancient memories. Visceral stuff from this promising new star of dark fantasy' Michael MoorcockJustin Robertson's debut novel is a trans- dimensional trip into the mysterious knot of nature; a journey into the 'brilliant darkness' where the timeless divine spirit of the 'Tangle' weaves its spell and all mankind's hubris is rendered insignificant by the radically non-human force of phantom ecology. Salvation, revelation and a terrible reckoning dwell in the ancient roots ...A time travelling account of what occurs when unknowable frontiers are breached and humanity finds itself, once again, lost in the woods, THE TANGLE invites us into a grotesque world of eco-horror, echoing with the spirit of writers such as Saki, Ballard, M R James, Ursula Le Guin, Brian Catling and Thomas Ligotti.
£9.99
Orion Publishing Co The Maverick: George Weidenfeld and the Golden Age of Publishing
A New York Times Critics' Pick for 2023 Born into a Jewish family in Vienna in 1919, George Weidenfeld fled to England in 1938 to escape the Nazi regime. There he began a career in publishing that would make him one of the most influential figures in the industry. Over the course of his long and illustrious career he championed some of the most important voices of the twentieth century, from Vladimir Nabokov, Mary McCarthy and Saul Bellow to Harold Wilson, Isaiah Berlin and Henry Kissinger.But what do we know about the man himself? Was he, as described by some, the 'greatest salesperson', 'the world's best networker', 'the publisher's publisher' and 'a great intellectual'? Was his lifelong effort to be the world's most famous host a cover for his desperate loneliness? Who, in fact, was the real George Weidenfeld and how did he rise so successfully within the ranks of London and New York society? Providing a full, unvarnished and at times difficult history of this complex man, this first biography of a titan of culture is also a story of resilience, determination and the power of ideas to shape history.
£22.50
Orion Publishing Co Fault Lines: Shortlisted for the 2021 Costa First Novel Award
'The perfect marriage of Sally Rooney and early Murakami' Kathy Wang, author of Impostor SyndromeMizuki is a Japanese housewife. She has a hardworking husband, two adorable children and a beautiful Tokyo apartment. It's everything a woman like her could want . . . isn't it?One rainy night, she meets Kiyoshi. In him, she rediscovers freedom, friendship, a voice, and the neon, electric pulse of the city she has always loved. But the further she falls into their relationship, the clearer it becomes that she is living two lives - and in the end, we can choose only one.'A brilliant modern love story . . . atmospheric and transporting but also wise, clever and universal in its exploration of love, family and identity. I loved it' Cathy Rentzenbrink
£9.04
Orion Publishing Co Jane Austen
Bestselling, award-winning novelist writing about one of the most popular and enduring English novelists - recently voted best author of all time.'Splendid ... a gem' LITERARY REVIEW'An excellent biography' MAIL ON SUNDAY'Shields on Austen offers up a delicious prospect. And we are not disappointed' SCOTSMANJane Austen was one of the world's most remarkable writers, whose characters are as alive today as they were two hundred years ago. Despite being one of the most perceptive writers about people and relationships, she never married and always lived with her parents and sister Cassandra.Perhaps unusual for women at that time, Jane Austen was acutely aware of the larger political and social world around her, but chose to focus her novels on the family as a microcosm through which to explore human nature.The prizewinning novelist Carol Shields gives us a beautifully written, perceptive look at the life of one of the finest and most popular English novelists of all time.
£9.04
Orion Publishing Co The Wisdom of Call The Midwife: Words of inspiration from the Sisters and midwives of Nonnatus House
A beautiful collection of the most heartwarming, inspirational and hilarious quotes from Call the Midwife, accompanied by beautiful photographs throughout. 'Love is never the only answer. But it is always the best, the simplest, the one most likely to withstand the test of time.Love is the beginning. It should be the final word.' Narration by Jennifer, Series 8, Episode 4Call the Midwife is loved across the world for its moving and intimate insights into the colourful world of midwifery and family life in the East End of London in the 1950s and 60s. The residents of Poplar and of Nonnatus House have brought comfort and joy to millions of people through their words and shared experiences. In this book you will find a collection of the best, most heart-warming and inspiring narrations and life-affirming quotes, taken from the original scripts by Heidi Thomas, alongside beautiful photographs from the show. There are lessons on love, friendship, motherhood, faith, family, home and much more - and we will hear from, among others, the voices of glamorous but vulnerable Trixie, forthright Nurse Crane, the delightfully witty Sisters Evangelina and Monica Joan and of course the wise and iconic narrations of Jennifer. The perfect book to see you through both hard and better times, this lovely collection will inspire and entertain in equal measure.
£14.99
Orion Publishing Co The Diet Myth: The Real Science Behind What We Eat
Fully updated throughout and with a new foreword for this edition.Why do most diets fail? Why does one person eat a certain meal and gain weight, while another eating the same meal loses pounds? Why, despite all the advice about what to eat, are we all still getting fatter?The answers are much more surprising - and fascinating - than we've been led to believe. The key to health and weight loss lies not in the latest fad diet, nor even in the simple mantra of 'eat less, exercise more', but in the microbes already inside us. Drawing on the latest science and his own pioneering research, Professor Tim Spector demystifies the common misconceptions about fat, calories, vitamins and nutrients. Only by understanding what makes our own personal microbes tick can we overcome the confusion of modern nutrition, and achieve a healthy gut and a healthy body.
£10.21
Orion Publishing Co How Contagion Works: Science, Awareness and Community in Times of Global Crises - The short essay that helped change the Covid-19 debate
'Lucid, calm, informed, directly helpful in trying to think about where we are now... The literature of the time after begins here' Evening Standard'Taking a breather from bewildering statistics and terrible tales of contagion to read Giordano's book was a jolt of brevity and simplicity... It takes concepts that have been dancing away in our minds, just out of reach, and lines them up neatly' The Times'Potent and original' Sunday Times'In one short hour, in the midst of this difficult moment, Giordano reinforced my sense of hope in humanity, in the one and the many' Philippe Sands, author of East West Street and The Rat LineThe Covid-19 pandemic is the most significant health emergency of our time.Writing from Italy in lockdown, physicist and novelist Paolo Giordano explains how disease spreads in our interconnected world: why it mattershow it impacts ushow we must reactExpanding his focus to include other forms of contagion - from the environmental crisis to fake news and xenophobia - Giordano shows us not just how the coronavirus crisis got so bad so quickly, but also how we can work together to create change.Paolo Giordano is a physicist and the author of four bestselling novels. His article 'The Mathematics of Contagion' - published in Italy at the beginning of the coronavirus emergency - was shared more than 4 million times and helped shift public opinion in the early stages of the epidemic.
£5.27
Orion Publishing Co Moth: The powerful story of a family attempting to hold themselves together through the heartbreak of Partition
Observer's 'Ten Debut Novelists' of 2021 Longlisted for the Desmond Elliott PrizeShortlisted for the Author's Club Best First Novel AwardHarper's Bazaar's 'Five Debut Female Authors to Read This Summer''Powerful and heartbreaking'Observer'Gripping... Razak painstakingly paints a portrait of a family; their rituals, their private languages, their shared lives'The Times 'Heartbreaking and heart-warming... The character portrayal is so intricate that as the plot twists and turns, you'll truly care what happens to them'Independent'Assured and powerful'Harper's Bazaar'One of the best debuts I've ever read. It made my heart swell'Sarah Winman, author of Still Life'A stunning, powerful work by a brave new voice in British fiction'Anna Hope, author of Expectation 'Powerful and moving... Every character springs from the page'Clare Chambers, author of Small Pleasures Delhi, 1946 Ma and Bappu teach at the local university. Their fourteen year-old daughter Alma is soon to be married but she is mostly interested in spinning wild stories for her beloved younger sister Roop.Times are bad for girls in India. The long-awaited independence from British rule brings unrest that threatens to unravel the rich tapestry of Delhi, and when Partition happens, Ma, Bappu, Alma and Roop are forced to find increasingly desperate ways to survive.But the the power of hope is an extraordinary thing...MEET THE FAMILY AT THE HEART OF MOTH:Alma: the beating heart of the novel. We meet her as a precocious 14-year old who becomes entangled with the chaos of Partition with devastating consequencesRoop: Alma's younger sister. Obsessed with death, she is a fierce, funny and rather wild child trying to make sense of the destruction that has befallen her familyMa and Bappu: their dream of an independent India collapses under the weight of History. Ma's experience mirrors that of the many Indian women who were hoping for new freedom under an independent India - and had to face more harassment and insecurity insteadAnd many more: the Muslim nanny, forced to hide in a water tank; the widowed house-keeper whose mission is to keep the family together; the old grandmother, obsessed with the family's honour and determined to preserve it no matter the cost...
£9.99
Orion Publishing Co King's Counsellor: Abdication and War: the Diaries of Sir Alan Lascelles edited by Duff Hart-Davis
The diaries of 'Tommy' Lascelles - as featured in the Netflix hit THE CROWN 'Brilliantly entertaining and historically priceless' Spectator'Fascinating ... as much a contribution to royal legend as to the history of the war' Daily TelegraphAs Assistant Private Secretary to four monarchs, 'Tommy' Lascelles had a ringside seat from which to observe the workings of the royal household and Downing Street during the first half of the 20th century.These fascinating diaries begin with Edward VIII's abdication and end with George VI's death and his daughter Elizabeth's Coronation. In between we see George VI at work and play, a portrait more intimate than any other previously published.This compelling account also includes Princess Margaret's relationship with Peter Townsend, and throws an intriguing new light on the way in which King George VI and Winston Churchill worked together during the Second World War. Lascelles was a fine writer - like most of the best diaries his are a delight to read as well as being invaluable history.
£16.99
Orion Publishing Co For the Love of Music: A Conductor's Guide to the Art of Listening
Why do so many of us listen to classical music, and how can you get the most from listening to it?In this unpretentious and instructive book, internationally celebrated conductor and teacher John Mauceri brings to bear his lifetime of experience and profound knowledge. A protégé of Leonard Bernstein and an artist who has performed and recorded all over the world, Mauceri is the guide par excellence to the joys of classical music. Mauceri illuminates our understanding of what it is we hear when we listen; how each piece bears the traces of its history; and how the concert experience allows us constantly to discover music anew.'Wonderful' Marilyn Horne'This delightful book is not so much the opening of a door as an affectionate hand on the arm, guiding the reader with enthusiasm and intelligence into a world of beauty' Stephen Hough
£10.99
Orion Publishing Co Mother Brain: Separating Myth from Biology – the Science of the Parental Brain
Before Chelsea Conaboy gave birth to her first child, she anticipated the joy of holding her newborn son, the endless dirty nappies and the sleepless nights. What she didn't expect was how different she would feel. It wasn't simply the extraordinary demands of this new role, but a shift in self - as deep as it was disorienting. In truth, something was changing: her brain. New parents undergo major brain changes, driven by hormones and the deluge of stimuli a baby provides. These neurobiological changes help all parents - birthing or otherwise - adapt in those intense first days and prepare for a long period of learning how to meet their child's needs. Yet this science is mostly absent from the public conversation about parenthood.Conaboy delves into the neuroscience to reveal unexpected upsides, generations of scientific neglect and a powerful new narrative of parenthood.
£20.00
Orion Publishing Co My Life in Food: A Memoir
In 2021, the world of cooking lost a legendary figure. Albert Roux, together with his brother Michel, transformed the way we eat, cook and appreciate food in this country. It is no exaggeration to say that most of what makes our current culinary landscape so vibrant began with these two brothers and their ground-breaking restaurant, Le Gavroche.Albert first arrived in England in the fifties, at a time of grey and brown food, with a nation still reeling from the effects of war and rationing. Cooking in the grand private houses of the aristocracy, he was to fall in love with the country and, after his military service, which he spent fighting in the Algerian Civil War, he would eventually make it his home for life. He and his brother set up Le Gavroche in 1967. It was to become the first restaurant in the UK to gain first one, and eventually three, Michelin stars. Together with their other restaurants, including the renowned Waterside Inn in Bray, it would go on to revolutionise the industry. The Roux restaurants set on their course an entire generation of award-winning chefs: his protégés include Gordon Ramsay, Marcus Wareing, Rowley Leigh and Monica Galetti, to name just a tiny fraction. He won every plaudit possible in the world of food, and was granted an OBE, a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, and a papal knighthood.Albert's memoir takes us from his childhood in wartime France, where the ever-looming presence of the German troops made it a challenge for his mother to keep the family fed, right up to the almost instant success of Le Gavroche, which welcomed everybody from royalty - the Queen Mother and Princess Diana were both regulars - to Hollywood legends including Charlie Chaplin. He talks frankly about his famed relationship with his brother, and about the encounter which derailed his first boyhood ambition to join the priesthood. His drive, humour and joie de vivre leap off every page, and the insight into what it took to break new ground in the restaurant industry is unmatched.These are the last words from a pioneer, a hero who inspired entire generations of chefs. They tell the story not only of a titan of a man, but of an era that shaped the way we cook and eat today.
£19.80
Orion Publishing Co Our War: How the British Commonwealth Fought the Second World War
Never heard before real stories of soldiers who fought in WW2 'Extraordinary ...If they had not made our war their war also, victory might not have come in 1945' DAILY TELEGRAPHIn this powerful and moving narrative, Christopher Somerville skilfully links personal testimonies to present an epic which embraces comedy and tragedy, pride and degradation, close comradeship and stark racial prejudice, devotion to the benign Mother Country and a burning desire to see the back of her. Many of the veterans had never previously talked of their experiences, even to close loved ones. They cover such topics as attitudes to Britain before and after the war, why Commonwealth citizens offered to fight, and how some volunteers were inspired by their wartime service while others were thoroughly disillusioned. The result is a rare and faithful memoir to the five million Commonwealth citizens who fought for the Allies and the 170,000 who died or went missing.
£10.99
Orion Publishing Co James and Nora
One of Ireland's greatest contemporary writers turns her attention to one of the country's greatest novelists: James Joyce and his relationship with Nora Barnacle - in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the iconic classic ULYSSES.'Both Joyce and O'Brien have a gift for beauty distilled . . . a work of love'Daily Telegraph'Short, poetic and powerful'Irish Times It was June 10th, Barnacle Day. He saw her in Nassau Street and they stopped to talk. She thought his blue eyes were those of a Norseman. He was twenty-two, and she, Nora Barnacle, was twenty and employed as a chambermaid in Finn's Hotel. They agreed to meet on June 14th, outside No. 1 Merrion Square, the home of Sir William Wilde, but Nora did not turn up. After a dejected letter from Joyce they met on June 16th, a date which came to be immortalized in literature as Bloomsday.Edna O'Brien paints a miniature portrait of an artist, idealist, insurgent and filled with a secret loneliness. In Nora, he was to find accomplice, collaborator and muse. For all their sexual escalations, Joyce considered their relationship 'a kind of sacrament'. Their life was one of wandering, emotional upheaval and poverty. It was also one that was binding and mysterious, and defied all the mores of intimacy.In prose brimming with life and energy, Edna O'Brien resurrects a relationship of magnificent intensity on the page, and in doing so shows herself to be touched by the genius of the writer she loves above all others.
£8.71
Orion Publishing Co The Great Philosophers: Turing
From WW2 code-breaker to Artificial Intelligence - a fascinating account of the remarkable Alan Turing.Alan Turing's 1936 paper On Computable Numbers was a landmark of twentieth-century thought. It not only provided the principle of the post-war computer, but also gave an entirely new approach to the philosophy of the mind. Influenced by his crucial codebreaking work during the war, and by practical pioneering of the first electronic computers, Turing argued that all the operations of the mind could be performed by computers. His thesis is the cornerstone of modern Artificial Intelligence. Andrew Hodges gives a fresh analysis of Turing's work, relating it to his extraordinary life.
£7.15
Orion Publishing Co Trouble Is What I Do: Leonid McGill 6
From innovative bestselling novelist Walter Mosley comes the return of the beloved Leonid McGill detective series featuring a morally ambiguous P.I. who solves crimes and whose victims are society's most downtrodden.Leonid McGill's spent a lifetime building up his reputation in the New York investigative scene. His seemingly infallible instinct and inside knowledge of the crime world make him the ideal man to help when Phillip Worry comes knocking.Phillip "Catfish" Worry is a 92-year-old Mississippi bluesman who needs Leonid's help with a simple task: deliver a letter revealing the black lineage of a wealthy heiress and her corrupt father. Unsurprisingly, the opportunity to do a simple favor while shocking the prevailing elite is too much for Leonid to resist.But when a famed and feared assassin puts a hit on Catfish, Leonid has no choice but to confront the ghost of his own felonious past. Working to protect his client, and his own family, Leonid must reach the heiress on the eve of her wedding before her powerful father kills those who hold their family's secret.Joined by a team of young and tough aspiring investigators, Leonid must gain the trust of wary socialites, outsmart vengeful thugs, and, above all, serve the truth-- no matter the cost.
£9.04
Orion Publishing Co C.A.L.M.: Crimes Against Love Memories
'Because a life lived in fear is equal to no life at all'This is the uncompromising vision of Jehnny Beth and Johnny Hostile. Fearless and highly erotic, these stories delight in ideas of sexual transgression and liberation, offering a window onto a world where anything is permitted, and everything is safe. As each of Jehnny Beth and Johnny Hostile's characters break from the bonds of acceptability and enter a darkness of desire, submission and sex, they discover their own humanity, a place where they can truly be free. A manifesto in the form of erotic photography, monologues and dialogues, Johnny Hostile's stimulating photography punctuates Jehnny Beth's seductive prose. Collapsing the barriers between sex and art while examining the universal values of human existence and consciousness through uninhibited desire, C.A.L.M. established Jehnny Beth and Johnny Hostile as two of the bravest and most provocative voices in fiction and erotic art today. The full collection of Johnny Hostile's photography is featured in a limited-edition hard cover art book of C.A.L.M.
£14.99
Orion Publishing Co The Last King Of Poland: One of the most important, romantic and dynamic figures of European history
A superb study of one of the most important, romantic and dynamic figures of European history.'A fine book ... the web of political intrigue unfolds like an appetising detective novel' ScotsmanThe last king of Poland owed his throne largely to his youthful romance with the future Catherine the Great of Russia. But Stanislaw Augustus was nobody's pawn. He was an ambitious, highly intelligent and complex character, a dashing figure in the finest eighteenth-century tradition. A great believer in art and education, he spent fortunes on cultural projects, and finding that he was blocked politically by Catherine, he put his energies into a programme of social and artistic regeneration. He transformed the mood of his country and brought it to a new phase of reform and independence.Poland's neighbours, however, viewed this beacon of liberty in their midst with alarm, and as they invaded and partitioned it, Stanislaw saw the destruction of his life's work, and ultimately was forced to abdicate, a broken man, deceived and disillusioned.
£20.00
Orion Publishing Co Small Pleasures: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction
LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021'A WORD-OF-MOUTH HIT' Evening Standard 'A very fine book... It's witty and sharp and reads like something by Barbara Pym or Anita Brookner, without ever feeling like a pastiche'David Nicholls'Perfect'India Knight 'Beautiful' Jessie Burton'Wonderful'Richard Osman 'Miraculous'Tracy Chevalier 'A wonderful novel. I loved it'Nina Stibbe 'Effortless to read, but every sentence lingers in the mind' Lissa Evans 'This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I honestly don't want you to be without it'Lucy Mangan'Gorgeous... If you're looking for something escapist and bittersweet, I could not recommend more' Pandora Sykes'Remarkable... Small Pleasures is no small pleasure'The Times'An irresistible novel - wry, perceptive and quietly devastating'Mail on Sunday'Chambers' eye for undemonstrative details achieves a Larkin-esque lucidity' Guardian'An almost flawlessly written tale of genuine, grown-up romantic anguish' The Sunday Times 1957, the suburbs of South East London. Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment from which there is no likelihood of escape. When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. As the investigation turns her quiet life inside out, Jean is suddenly given an unexpected chance at friendship, love and - possibly - happiness. But there will, inevitably, be a price to pay.Book of the Year for: The Times, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Daily Express, Metro, Spectator, Red Magazine and Good Housekeeping
£9.99
Orion Publishing Co Constable: A Portrait
ONE OF THE TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES' BEST BOOKS FOR 2022'Eye-opening and full of surprises . . . A treasure' Sunday Times'A biography as rich with colourful characters as any novel' TelegraphJohn Constable, the revolutionary nineteenth-century painter of the landscapes and skies of southern England, is Britain's best-loved but perhaps least understood artist.His paintings reflect visions of landscape that shocked and perplexed his contemporaries: attentive to detail, spontaneous in gesture, brave in their use of colour. What we learn from his landscapes is that Constable had sharp local knowledge of Suffolk, a clarity of expression of the skyscapes above Hampstead, an understanding of the human tides in London and Brighton, and a rare ability in his late paintings of Salisbury Cathedral to transform silent suppressed passion into paint.Yet Constable was also an active and energetic correspondent. His letters and diaries - there are over one thousand letters from and to him - reveal a man of passion, opinion and discord, while his character and personality is concealed behind the high shimmering colour of his paintings. They reveal too the lives and circumstances of his brothers and his sisters, his cousins and his aunts, who serve to define the social and economic landscape against which he can be most clearly seen. These multifaceted reflections draw a sharp picture of the person, as well as the painter.James Hamilton's biography reveals a complex, troubled man, and explodes previous mythologies about this timeless artist, and establishes him in his proper context as a giant of European art.
£12.99
Orion Publishing Co Three-a-Penny: Radio 4 Book of the Week
A rediscovered classic memoir - a fascinating insight into the life of a crime writer during and after the First World War - a woman ahead of her time.With a new introduction by Sophie HannahTHREE-A-PENNY describes what it is like to be a woman in a man's world - about the ups and downs of earning a living as a writer in the 1920s and 30s.Lucy Malleson wrote over 70 crime novels and was part of what is often referred to as the Golden Age of crime writing. But in order to be published she used a male pseudonym, and successfully concealed her true identity for many years. From the poignancy of the First World War and its aftermath to the invitation to join the infamous Detection Club, this re-discovered classic gives a fascinating insight into what life was like as a woman living and working in a largely male world during and after the First World War.
£8.99
Orion Publishing Co Lives Between The Lines: A Journey in Search of the Lost Levant
In Lives Between the Lines, Michael Vatikiotis traces the journey of his Greek and Italian forebears from Tuscany, Crete, Hydra and Rhodes, as they made their way to Egypt and the coast of Palestine in search of opportunity. In the process, he reveals a period where the Middle East was a place of ethnic and cultural harmony - where Arabs and Jews rubbed shoulders in bazaars and teashops, intermarried and shared family history.While lines were eventually drawn and people, including Vatikiotis's family, found themselves caught between clashing faiths, contested identities and violent conflict, this intimate and sweeping memoir is a paean to tolerance, offering a nuanced understanding of the lost Levant.
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Orion Publishing Co Crossing the Line: Lessons From a Life on Duty
A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK 'A love letter to police officers and the most vulnerable people they protect and serve' CHRISTIE WATSON, author of THE LANGUAGE OF KINDNESS'Extraordinary . . . urgent and compelling. We all have lessons to learn from this book' SIMON MAYOThere is much more to policing than tackling crime. Every one of us will need the help of an officer at some point in our lives, often when we're at our most vulnerable. Yet how much do we really know about the realities of policing? Using real life stories from his twenty-five years of service with the Metropolitan Police, John Sutherland invites us beyond the cordon tape to bear witness to all he has seen. In doing so, he offers a hopeful vision for how we can tackle some of the biggest challenges facing society today. Includes a new Afterword on policing during the Covid-19 pandemic
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Orion Publishing Co The Shanghai Free Taxi: Journeys with the Hustlers and Rebels of the New China
As any traveller knows, the best and most honest conversations take place during car rides. So when journalist Frank Langfitt wanted to learn more about the real China, he started driving a cab - and discovered a country amid seismic political and economic change.The Chinese economic boom, with its impact on the environment, global trade, and the tech industry, has been one of the most important stories of the twenty-first century. Yet few realise that the boom is largely over, and that the new reality in China is unequal growth, political anxiety and a newly empowered strongman president in Xi Jinping.In order to understand this new world, Frank Langfitt offered the citizens of Shanghai a simple deal: a conversation in exchange for a free taxi ride. Rides turned into follow-up interviews, shared meals and even a wedding invitation. In this adventurous book, we get to know an array of quirky yet representative characters like Beer Horse, the pushy dealer who sells Langfitt his used car; Rocky, a stylishly dressed migrant worker who loves John Denver music; and Xiao Chen, who moved his family to Hawaii to escape China's oppressive education system but was unable to get out of the country himself.Unfolding over the course of several years, The Shanghai Free Taxi is a sensitive and eye-opening book about a rapidly changing country.
£9.99
Orion Publishing Co Fixit
'The best thing to happen to mystery writing in a very long time' NEW YORK TIMES Isaiah Quintabe's first love, Grace, has been kidnapped by maniacal hitman Skip Hanson, who is determined to punish Isaiah for sending him to prison.With Grace's safety at stake, Isaiah reunites with his old partner, ex-hustler Juanell Dodson, to track down Grace's whereabouts.Trouble comes in the shape of Winne Hando, a homicide detective with something to prove. Winnie sees Isaiah's involvement as a potential embarrassment: an unlicensed PI can't be seen doing a better job than a police department.As Winnie and Isaiah compete in their increasingly desperate hunt, Isaiah starts to fear that even if he can bring Grace home alive, things between them will never be the same ...PRAISE FOR JOE IDE AND THE IQ SERIES'Truly feels like an heir to Elmore Leonard' DAILY TELEGRAPH'An electrifying combination of Holmesian mystery and SoCal grit' TIME'One of the most singular characters in crime fiction' WASHINGTON POST
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Orion Publishing Co Night Soldiers
'Complex, intelligent, hugely intriguing - Alan Furst is in a class of his own' William Boyd 'Furst's ability to recreate the terrors of espionage is matchless' Robert Harris'Furst never stops astounding me' Tom HanksChosen as one of the 50 Best Modern Crime Novels by Marcel Berlins, crime reviewer, The TimesBulgaria, 1934. Khristo Stoianev sees his brother kicked to death by a gang of fascist thugs. Taking a risk on the promise of Communism, he flees to Moscow and is trained as an agent of the NKVD, the Soviet secret intelligence service. His first mission is to go to Catalonia, where he is soon caught up in the bloody horrors of the Spanish Civil War. Warned that he is about to become a victim of Stalin's purges, Khristo must again take flight, this time to Paris, where he is a small player on the wrong end of a social scene that is simultaneously decadent and doomed. One of the twentieth century's greatest spy novels, Night Soldiers is a thrilling portrait of one man's extraordinary adventures and of Europe teetering on the brink of the Second World War. 'Alan Furst's mastery of the espionage novel puts him beyond any would-be rival' Literary Review 'A spy novel, a war story, an adventure, a survivor's tale - Night Soldiers is all this and more' Seattle Times
£10.99
Orion Publishing Co The Museum of Modern Love
'One of my stand-out Australian reads from 2016 . . . A glorious novel, meditative and special' Hannah Kent, author of BURIAL RITESArky Levin, a film composer in New York, has promised his wife that he will not visit her in hospital, where she is suffering in the final stages of a terminal illness. She wants to spare him a burden that would curtail his creativity, but the promise is tearing him apart. One day he finds his way to MOMA and sees Mariana Abramovic in The Artist is Present. The performance continues for seventy-five days and, as it unfolds, so does Arky. As he watches and meets other people drawn to the exhibit, he slowly starts to understand what might be missing in his life and what he must do.
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Orion Publishing Co More Than Likely: A Memoir
'Fabulous memoirs from the two great writers . . . I loved every second of it' Eric IdleDick Clement and Ian La Frenais's unique writing partnership has lasted over fifty years. After creating the characters of Bob and Terry, factory hands from the north-east of England, in The Likely Lads and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, their reputation as great screenwriters was secured. Their acclaimed careers have included writing, directing and producing iconic TV programmes like Porridge, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Lovejoy. Their feature films include Otley, The Commitments and Still Crazy. Along the way, they have had unforgettable encounters with movie stars like Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Marlon Brando, Michael Caine and Sean Connery - not to mention with stellar performers as varied as Billy Connolly, George Best, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Ronnie Wood and Tracey Ullman.Naturally, Dick and Ian's dual memoir is told with flair and immense humour. It is also choc-a-bloc with unexpected happenings, rogues and rock stars, prima donnas, plots and panic.
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Orion Publishing Co Not Saying Goodbye
RUSSIA, 1918The young Soviet state is in turmoil. Chekists walk along the streets. Hunger, cold and mud crawl away in the former aristocratic quarters of Moscow. The old order has been turned upside down, leaving room for political infighting and dark subterfuge.This is the world Erast Fandorin - the celebrated detective - wakes up to after three years in a coma. His faithful assistant Masa might have nursed him successfully back to life, but there is no guarantee that the old Fandorin, with his razor-sharp intellect and superhuman strength, will ever be back.Determined to leave behind Moscow - a city he doesn't recognise anymore - Fandorin embarks on one last great adventure. But who can he trust in a country torn apart by civil war?
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Orion Publishing Co Beth Chatto's Garden Notebook
'I return to Beth Chatto's books constantly. For those who are new to her work, you are entering into a life-long relationship with a wise friend and gardener' Monty Don'Compulsively readable. Once you have it, don't let anyone else borrow it' SUNDAY TELEGRAPHSharing the hopes and successes - and sometimes failures - of her work, Beth Chatto reveals what is really involved in maintaining a unique and flourishing garden. Written from notes that she kept regularly, this engaging book offers help on a whole range of topics. There is guidance on designing, planting and grouping. She describes methods of propagation, shows how plants can be helped to maturity, and gives advice on managing a garden and its plants and on performing all the day-to-day tasks involved.
£10.99
Orion Publishing Co The Dry Garden
'I return to Beth Chatto's books constantly. For those who are new to her work, you are entering into a life-long relationship with a wise friend and gardener' Monty Don'Invaluable to those who want to plant a trouble-free, all-year-round garden with minimum care - or watering' FLORAIn today's climate of increasingly hot summers and dry winters, gardeners need guidance on plants that will thrive in dry conditions. In Beth Chatto's classic book, she uses plants that need very little attention and are naturally adapted to flourish in dry conditions to provide a year-round display of beautiful foliage and flowers. Drawing from her own immense experience, she provides valuable guidance on types of soil and on basic principles of design. She discusses the plants and plantings suited to dry conditions and includes a detailed list of plants, with notes and advice on their characteristics.
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Orion Publishing Co Unravelling the Double Helix: The Lost Heroes of DNA
DNA. The double helix; the blueprint of life; and, during the early 1950s, a baffling enigma that could win a Nobel Prize. Everyone knows that James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double helix. In fact, they clicked into place the last piece of a huge jigsaw puzzle that other researchers had assembled over decades. Researchers like Maurice Wilkins (the 'Third Man of DNA') and Rosalind Franklin, famously demonised by Watson. Not forgetting the 'lost heroes' who fought to prove that DNA is the stuff of genes, only to be airbrushed out of history. In Unravelling the Double Helix, Professor Gareth Williams sets the record straight. He tells the story of DNA in the round, from its discovery in pus-soaked bandages in 1868 to the aftermath of Watson's best-seller The Double Helix a century later. You don't need to be a scientist to enjoy this book. It's a page-turner that unfolds like a detective story, with suspense, false leads and treachery, and a fabulous cast of noble heroes and back-stabbing villains. But beware: some of the science is dreadful, and the heroes and villains may not be the ones you expect.
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Orion Publishing Co Miracle In The Andes: The True Story of Surviving 72 Days on the Mountain Against All Odds
The true story of the 1972 Andes plane crash and rescue dramatised in Netflix's Society of the SnowIn October 1972, Nando Parrado and his rugby club teammates were on a flight from Uruguay to Chile when their plane crashed into a mountain. Miraculously, many of the passengers survived but Nando's mother and sister died and he was unconscious for three days.Stranded more than 11,000 feet up in the wilderness of the Andes, the survivors soon heard that the search for them had been called off - and realise the only food for miles around was the bodies of their dead friends ...In a last desperate bid for safety, Nando and a teammate set off in search of help. They climbed 17,000-foot-high mountains, facing death at every step, but inspired by his love for his family Nando drove them on until, finally, 72 days after the crash, they found rescue.
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Orion Publishing Co How Does It Feel?: A Life of Musical Misadventures
'Wonderful - such a terrific read. Brilliantly captures the passion, commitment, searing self-knowledge and dizzy happiness that comes with loving music. An enchanting book' STEPHEN FRY***Following a formative encounter with the British pop movie Slade in Flame in 1975, Mark Kermode decided that musical superstardom was totally attainable. And so, armed with a homemade electric guitar and very little talent, he embarked on an alternative career - a chaotic journey which would take him from the halls and youth clubs of North London to the stages of Glastonbury, the London Palladium and The Royal Albert Hall. Hilarious and blissfully nostalgic, this is a riotous account of a bedroom dreamer's attempts to conquer the world armed with nothing more than a chancer's enthusiasm and a simple philosophy: how hard can it be? *** 'At the heart of this entertaining memoir is a little boy in his back garden in Finchley, banging out a rhythm on saucepans with a couple of wooden spoons' Daily Mail'A rocking whirlwind of a tale' DANNY BAKER'Wonderful . . . will increase your zest for life' RICHARD AYOADE'Entertaining . . . what comes through every anecdote is the author's genuine enthusiasm for music' Spectator
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Orion Publishing Co Gold: My Autobiography
With a show-jumping career spanning over forty years, Nick Skelton is a legend in the equestrian world. No other rider has won so many major competitions on so many different horses and he is as popular at Olympia and Hickstead as he is at Aachen, Geneva, Paris and Spruce Meadows. Skelton has competed in eight Olympic Games. He was part of the gold medal-winning Great Britain team at London 2012 and made history by winning the individual Olympic gold medal at Rio 2016, riding at the age of fifty-eight his beloved horse Big Star.Nick Skelton began riding at the age of eighteen months on a Welsh pony called Oxo. At the age of seventeenth in 1975, Skelton took team silver and individual gold at the Junior European Championships. He has competed many times at the European Show Jumping Championships, winning numerous medals, both individually and with the British team. In 1980 he competed in the Alternative Olympics, where he helped the British team to a silver medal. He still holds the British Show Jumping High Jump record that he set in 1978.In 2000, Skelton was forced into an early retirement after he broke his neck from a serious fall. But following an amazing recovery he came out of retirement in 2002 to compete again. Now he tells the full story of his eventful life and matchless achievements.
£9.99