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A major reassessment of the one of the greatest English novelist of the twentieth century, from celebrated critic Sir Frank Kermode.

CONCERNING E.M. FORSTER is a rich, varied and original portrait of a literary great. When Sir Frank Kermode delivered the Clark Lectures at Cambridge University, he chose E.M. Forster as his subject; these lectures form the core of this book. Kermode reappraises the influence and meaning of Forster’s oeuvre, offering a fascinating interpretation of his most celebrated work, A PASSAGE TO INDIA.

There follows a series of interweaving discussions that bring to life diverse topics – Empire, class, poverty, the condition of the novel, the role of the artist – but always return to our enigmatic subject. Kermode also reflects on Forster’s considerable talent and shortcomings, places him within a wider social context, and casts spotlight on his contemporaries, presenting a unique panorama of twentieth-century English literature.

Masterly collection of short stories by an American novelist at the height of her powers

It is the stories upon which Cynthia Ozick’s literary reputation rests. She writes about bitterness, cruelty and compulsion with brutal acuity and tenderness. She has created a timeless collection in which Greek mythology, superstition and the religious and cultural experience of the Jewish diaspora in America collide. The Pagan Rabbi is seduced by a tree sprite after seeing his daughter rescued from drowning by a water sprite. Such ecstasy is not permitted to mortals and so the scholar must die. He hangs himself with his prayer shawl as he watches the strangely beautiful nymph decay.
In Envy, a Yiddish poet who watches the success of a contemporary, becomes very like a character in an I.B. Singer story entrapped by his anguish and haunted by the memory of a child. In the Doctor’s Wife, the most gentle of the stories, a poor doctor not unlike Chekhov endures family life in which he is adored by his three sisters and oppressed by his family obligations.

In these stories, we see Ozick defining herself and her literary territory. The stories may be read purely as evocations of Jewish experience, where time seems to have by-passed these characters. In the Butterfly and the Traffic Light, Jerusalem is seen upon a hill as only it can be in legend, and America is said not to have cities scarred by battles. This is a dazzling collection of short stories by an internationally celebrated novelist.

How the division of the Americas from the rest of the world affected human history.

In 15,000 B.C. early humankind, who had evolved in Africa tens of thousands of years before and spread out to populate the Earth, arrived in Siberia, during the Ice Age. Because so much water was locked up at that time in the great ice sheets, several miles thick, the levels of the world’s oceans were much lower than they are today, and early humans were able to walk across the Bering Strait, then a land bridge, without getting their feet wet and enter the Americas.

Then, the Ice Age came to an end, the Bering Strait refilled with water and humans in the Americas were cut off from humans elsewhere in the world. This division – with two great populations on Earth, each oblivious of the other – continued until Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ America just before 1500 A.D. This is the fascinating subject of THE GREAT DIVIDE, which compares and contrasts the development of humankind in the ‘Old World’ and the ‘New’ between 15,000 B.C. and 1500 A.D. This unprecedented comparison of early peoples means that, when these factors are taken together, they offer a uniquely revealing insight into what it means to be human.

THE GREAT DIVIDE offers a masterly and totally original synthesis of archaeology, anthropology, geology, meteorology, cosmology and mythology, to give a new shape – and a new understanding – to human history.

How the division of the Americas from the rest of the world affected human history.

In 15,000 B.C. early humankind, who had evolved in Africa tens of thousands of years before and spread out to populate the Earth, arrived in Siberia, during the Ice Age. Because so much water was locked up at that time in the great ice sheets, several miles thick, the levels of the world’s oceans were much lower than they are today, and early humans were able to walk across the Bering Strait, then a land bridge, without getting their feet wet and enter the Americas.

Then, the Ice Age came to an end, the Bering Strait refilled with water and humans in the Americas were cut off from humans elsewhere in the world. This division – with two great populations on Earth, each oblivious of the other – continued until Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ America just before 1500 A.D. This is the fascinating subject of THE GREAT DIVIDE, which compares and contrasts the development of humankind in the ‘Old World’ and the ‘New’ between 15,000 B.C. and 1500 A.D. This unprecedented comparison of early peoples means that, when these factors are taken together, they offer a uniquely revealing insight into what it means to be human.

THE GREAT DIVIDE offers a masterly and totally original synthesis of archaeology, anthropology, geology, meteorology, cosmology and mythology, to give a new shape – and a new understanding – to human history.

The remarkable true story of the Queen Alexandra frontline nurses in the Second World War.

The amazing experiences of the Queen Alexandra nurses in the Second World War form one of the greatest adventure stories of modern times, and – incredibly – remain largely untold. Thousands of middle-class girls, barely out of school, were plucked from sheltered backgrounds, subjected to training regimes unimaginably tough by today’s standards, and sent forth to share the harsh conditions of the fighting services. They had to deal with the most appalling suffering, yet most found reserves of inner strength that carried them through episodes of unrelieved horror.

Over 200 nurses died, torpedoed in hospital ships, bombed in field hospitals or murdered in Japanese prison camps. Dozens won medals for gallantry. From the beaches of Dunkirk, to Singapore and D-Day, they saw it all. Whether tending burned pilots from the Battle of Britain or improvising medical treatment in Japanese death camps, their dedication was second to none. This is their story.

The remarkable true story of the Queen Alexandra frontline nurses in the Second World War.

The amazing experiences of the Queen Alexandra nurses in the Second World War form one of the greatest adventure stories of modern times, and – incredibly – remain largely untold. Thousands of middle-class girls, barely out of school, were plucked from sheltered backgrounds, subjected to training regimes unimaginably tough by today’s standards, and sent forth to share the harsh conditions of the fighting services. They had to deal with the most appalling suffering, yet most found reserves of inner strength that carried them through episodes of unrelieved horror.

Over 200 nurses died, torpedoed in hospital ships, bombed in field hospitals or murdered in Japanese prison camps. Dozens won medals for gallantry. From the beaches of Dunkirk, to Singapore and D-Day, they saw it all. Whether tending burned pilots from the Battle of Britain or improvising medical treatment in Japanese death camps, their dedication was second to none. This is their story.

The story of the first great tank battle, and the genesis of one of the most formidable weapons of the twentieth century.

Cambrai was the last – and most influential – battle fought by the British on the Western Front in 1917. With many of the Allies on the brink of collapse, only Britain was still capable of holding the Germans at bay.

Over time, many myths have grown up around what happened at Cambrai. The events of this iconic attack are now buried beneath accumulated legends and misrepresentations built up over almost a century. It is remembered as the world’s first great tank battle, but it was the brilliant British innovations in artillery techniques that most shocked the enemy. Equally important were the new ‘stormtroop’ tactics the Germans pioneered.

Drawing on previously unpublished letters, diaries, first-hand accounts and official reports, Bryn Hammond’s definitive account examines this military milestone, how the myths were created, and how they changed the face of warfare for ever.

The story of the first great tank battle, and the genesis of one of the most formidable weapons of the twentieth century.

Cambrai was the last – and most influential – battle fought by the British on the Western Front in 1917. With many of the Allies on the brink of collapse, only Britain was still capable of holding the Germans at bay.

Over time, many myths have grown up around what happened at Cambrai. The events of this iconic attack are now buried beneath accumulated legends and misrepresentations built up over almost a century. It is remembered as the world’s first great tank battle, but it was the brilliant British innovations in artillery techniques that most shocked the enemy. Equally important were the new ‘stormtroop’ tactics the Germans pioneered.

Drawing on previously unpublished letters, diaries, first-hand accounts and official reports, Bryn Hammond’s definitive account examines this military milestone, how the myths were created, and how they changed the face of warfare for ever.

A new biography of Lawrence of Arabia

T.E. Lawrence is one of the most enigmatic characters in British history. At the outbreak of the First World War he was working as an archaeologist in the Middle East. He had no military training at all, and a strong distrust of politicians and senior officers alike. And yet he succeeded in a task where all these people had failed: not only did he unite the Arab nation – a nation at perpetual war with itself – but he also led them to victory against the Ottoman Empire.

How he managed to achieve these incredible feats has fascinated and confounded historians ever since. The myths that have grown up around this remarkable man have been enhanced by the untruths Lawrence himself propagated. He was never captured and tortured by the Turks as he claimed, neither was he the first to target Ottoman troops by dynamiting their trains. And yet the truth is every bit as compelling as the fiction. He was far more ruthless than he portrayed himself, and the battles he fought were every bit as barbarous as those fought by his Ottoman enemies. He was also strangely determined not to take credit for his achievements: when offered the VC at Buckingham Palace he refused it, leaving the king holding the box.

This brand new biography by the author of RORKE’S DRIFT uses primary sources to uncover the truth from all the fictions that surround this legendary man. It covers the actualities of the war Lawrence fought in greater detail than ever before, and also describes what happened to Lawrence after the war.

The much-loved TOP GEAR host, and No.1 bestselling author of ON THE EDGE, on learning to love your caravan – includes advice on how to blow it up when you have finished with it.

This is the essential guide for any owner or prospective owner, or indeed anyone with even a passing interest in caravans, of whatever sex, age, race or inclination. Or anyone with an interest in seeing them blown to bits on the telly.

From the history of the caravan and their role in preventing World War Three to caravan racing and what the future might hold for the mobile home we all love (or love to hate), Richard Hammond leaves no stone unturned in this comprehensive account of the enduring appeal of a road pest … I mean, motoring icon.

The hitherto unpublished Dirk Bogarde – the best of his marvellous letters

The success of John Coldstream’s bestselling biography of Dirk Bogarde demonstrates that the interest in one of Britain’s leading actors, memoirists and novelists does not diminish, even though it is a decade since his death. Bogarde was a secretive man, who destroyed many of his own papers and diaries. Fortunately, the recipients of his letters treasured them, enabling John Coldstream to bring together this fascinating collection of hitherto unpublished material.

Bogarde wrote to each correspondent according to the nature of the friendship, but invariably he was frank, gossipy, funny and often malicious. The joy of writing, particularly as he grew older and chose to live in France, was never far away. The letters display the qualities familiar to those who knew the private Bogarde: acute observation, laser-like intelligence, impatience with the foolish, compassion for the needy, a relish for the witty metaphor, and a catastrophic disdain for correct spelling and punctuation. Above all, to read his letters is to hear him talk, and no conversation with Dirk Bogarde was dull. Recipients included the film director Joseph Losey, Bogarde’s first publisher Norah Smallwood, the film critic Dilys Powell, and the novelist Penelope Mortimer.

Why France and Britain are so different, and why they do things in opposite ways.

A brilliant and vigorous observer of both French and British societies, which she knows intimately, 32-year-old Agnes Catherine Poirier has spent the last ten years explaining the peculiarities of France to the British and of Britain to the French. Not an easy job.

Having studied both in Paris and London, writing in both languages for the French and British press, Agnes Catherine Poirier plays with national stereotypes, which are both stupid and dangerous, with dexterity and savoir faire. She goes beneath the surface to explain why France and Britain keep arguing and competing endlessly, why they are so different and why they do things in almost opposite ways.

Covering the worlds of art, politics, action, food, institutions, sex, history, media, society and philosophy, she tells us as much about us as why France is a nation apart.

Revenge for tabloid attacks on France or for British expats’ invasions of Brittany and the Dordogne? You decide. But this will entertain and educate all readers about their own country and whether its ‘entente’ with La Belle France is ‘cordiale’ or not.

You may disagree with her but you may never see yourself in the same way again.

Why France and Britain are so different, and why they do things in opposite ways.

A brilliant and vigorous observer of both French and British societies, which she knows intimately, 32-year-old Agnes Catherine Poirier has spent the last ten years explaining the peculiarities of France to the British and of Britain to the French. Not an easy job.

Having studied both in Paris and London, writing in both languages for the French and British press, Agnes Catherine Poirier plays with national stereotypes, which are both stupid and dangerous, with dexterity and savoir faire. She goes beneath the surface to explain why France and Britain keep arguing and competing endlessly, why they are so different and why they do things in almost opposite ways.

Covering the worlds of art, politics, action, food, institutions, sex, history, media, society and philosophy, she tells us as much about us as why France is a nation apart.

Revenge for tabloid attacks on France or for British expats’ invasions of Brittany and the Dordogne? You decide. But this will entertain and educate all readers about their own country and whether its ‘entente’ with La Belle France is ‘cordiale’ or not.

You may disagree with her but you may never see yourself in the same way again.

The last survivor of Hitler’s bunker speaks for the first time

The last survivor of the end days of Hitler’s bunker tells his story publicly for the first time. Von Loringhoven was aide-de-camp to Hitler’s last two chiefs of staff, Guderian and Krebs, and the link between the armies at the fronts and Hitler in his Berlin bunker. For the last nine months of the Third Reich he was present at the daily military briefings between Hitler and Marshals Keital and Goring, General Jodl and Admiral Donitz, along with Goebbels, Bormann, Ribbentrop, Himmler and Fegelein.

Von Lorninghoven was witness to the ever-growing gap between the reality of reports outside the bunker and Hitler’s misunderstanding of the calamity that was encircling the regime. As the Third Reich spiralled downwards, he watched and recorded Hitler’s catastrophic strategic mistakes and the paralysis in which he held his generals. Hitler’s reason was twisted by his need for vengeance after the assissination attempt; he was searching for an impossible theatrical victory from an empire in total ruin.

The final week of the regime saw Loringhoven living wholly in the bunker, watching the deteriorating relations among the inmates, military and civilian, as the atmosphere poisoned to an inevitable end. When radio-telephone communications finally broke down on 29 April he escaped the bunker – amazingly with Hitler’s blessing – crossed the Russian lines and was picked up and taken prisoner by the Americans. He was released in January 1948.

‘He is screamingly funny. He is wise. He has style’ Daily Telegraph

‘His spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction’ Mail on Sunday

It is known as the Discworld. It is a flat planet, supported on the backs of four elephants, who in turn stand on the back of the great turtle A’Tuin as it swims majestically through space. And it is quite possibly the funniest place in all of creation…

Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job.

After being assured that being dead was not compulsory, Mort accepted. However, he soon found that romantic longings did not mix easily with the responsibilities of being Death’s apprentice.

Terry Pratchett’s hilarious fourth Discworld novel established once and for all that Death really is a laughing matter…

Readers can’t get enough of Mort:

‘This book was so good that if I knew the way to Sheepridge, I’d be heading there next Hogswatch Eve hoping to be chosen as DEATH’s next apprentice . . . This book is laugh out loud, want to read the funny bit to someone (anyone) funny, it is witty, very witty, cleverly witty, it is deceptively simple, but wonderfully complex, an enigma, a dichotomy. Oh ok it is bloody good and outrageously funny, just read it‘ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘This was the very first Discworld novel I’ve ever read . . . It became instantly dear to me, prompting me to immediately buy the English original and reading it once again, but I had almost forgotten just HOW GOOD this was. After this re-read it is clear that it shall remain one of my all-time favourite books‘ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘The story itself is simple to follow, what makes this book so incredible is the fantastic descriptions of the way this universe works and the different realities and places and people . . . I didn’t want to leave this world and I will definitely be returning soon!‘ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘The fourth Discworld novel is right up there with my favourites . . . it’s fun to watch [Death] stretch his legs a little, witness Pratchett pushing the character in interesting and imaginative directions and without a shadow of a doubt the best conversations involve the grinning skeleton with the sparkle in his eye . . . If you’re wondering where to start with the incredibly large body of work that makes up the Discworld then this is the one I suggest‘ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

A laugh-out-loud, perceptive and thought-provoking fantasy romp dismantling the ridiculousness of gender inequality

‘Granny Weatherwax is one of my favourite characters of Pratchett’s’ Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind

‘Persistently amusing, good-hearted and shrewd’ Sunday Times

It is known as the Discworld. It is a flat planet, supported on the backs of four elephants, who in turn stand on the back of the great turtle A’Tuin as it swims majestically through space. And it is quite possibly the funniest place in all of creation.

The last thing the wizard Drum Billet did, before Death laid a bony hand on his shoulder, was to pass on his staff of power to the eighth son of an eighth son. Unfortunately for his colleagues in the chauvinistic (not to say misogynistic) world of magic, he failed to check on the new-born baby’s sex…

Terry Pratchett turns his acute satirical eye on sexual equality and chauvinism in his hilarious third Discworld novel.

Readers love Equal Rites:

‘If you enjoy British humour, witty prose, and irreverent fantasy, then you’ll enjoy this book. It’s original, fun, and entertaining’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘This was just so incredibly funny, brilliantly written and truly a joy to read . . . just a laugh from start to finish, as well as being a great story’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘This book is vintage Discworld and these two, along with others, appear again and again later in the series . . . Pratchett’s humour is here in full force along with his wonderful descriptions and clever stories‘ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘This is a very fun approach to standard fantasy creatures such as witches and wizards . . . The writing style has a touch of humour to it and flows very easily. You pick up the book and never want to put it down‘ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘Equal Rights was magical, at times funny, contained some philosophical quotes and a light read’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘Granny was such an awesome character, she totally stole the show. Actually, it’s a tie between Granny and the magical staff, I know it’s just a stick but it’s a very expressive stick!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘A story of high intrigue and low politics, brutal murder and cunning conspiracies . . . tangy and rambunctious stuff!’ Observer

‘Gripping and atmospheric’ Daily Express

‘Enjoyably disturbing . . . likely to leave the reader clamouring for more’ TLS

St Giles, London, 1829: three people have been brutally murdered and the city simmers with anger and political unrest. Pyke, sometime Bow Street Runner, sometime crook, finds himself accidentally embroiled in the murder investigation but quickly realises that he has stumbled into something more sinister and far-reaching.

In his pursuit of the murderer, Pyke ruffles the feathers of some powerful people and, falsely accused of murder himself, he soon faces a death sentence and the gallows. Imprisoned, and with only his uncle and the headstrong, aristocratic daughter of his greatest enemy to help, Pyke must engineer his escape, find the real killer and untangle the web of intrigue that has been spun around him.

A story of intrigue, conspiracy and murder set in 19th-century Britain for fans of Antonia Hodgson, Ripper Street and Patrick Easter.

‘The novel drips with all the atmospheric details of a pre-Victorian murder mystery – “pea-soupers”, dingy lanterns and laudanum’ The Times

‘Pyke ia an intriguingly unfathomable character’ Financial Times

‘Pyke is violent, vengeful and conflicted in the best tradition of detectives. His story takes in grisly murder and torture, and uses 1800s London in the same way that hard-boiled fiction uses Los Angeles as a mirror of a corrupt society’ Time Out

A popular history of the Arab invasions that carved out an empire from Spain to China

Today’s Arab world was created at breathtaking speed. Whereas the Roman Empire took over 200 years to reach its fullest extent, the Arab armies overran the whole Middle East, North Africa and Spain within a generation. They annihilated the thousand-year-old Persian Empire and reduced the Byzantine Empire to little more than a city-state based around Constantinople. Within a hundred years of the Prophet’s death, Muslim armies destroyed the Visigoth kingdom of Spain, and crossed the Pyrenees to occupy southern France.

This is the first popular English language account of this astonishing remaking of the political and religious map of the world. Hugh Kennedy’s sweeping narrative reveals how the Arab armies conquered almost everything in their path. One of the few academic historians with a genuine talent for story telling, he offers a compelling mix of larger-than-life characters, battles, treachery and the clash of civilizations.

A popular history of the Arab invasions that carved out an empire from Spain to China

Today’s Arab world was created at breathtaking speed. Whereas the Roman Empire took over 200 years to reach its fullest extent, the Arab armies overran the whole Middle East, North Africa and Spain within a generation. They annihilated the thousand-year-old Persian Empire and reduced the Byzantine Empire to little more than a city-state based around Constantinople. Within a hundred years of the Prophet’s death, Muslim armies destroyed the Visigoth kingdom of Spain, and crossed the Pyrenees to occupy southern France.

This is the first popular English language account of this astonishing remaking of the political and religious map of the world. Hugh Kennedy’s sweeping narrative reveals how the Arab armies conquered almost everything in their path. One of the few academic historians with a genuine talent for story telling, he offers a compelling mix of larger-than-life characters, battles, treachery and the clash of civilizations.

Is this love or just oxytocin? The brilliant second novel by the bestselling author of Things my Girlfriend and I Have Argued About

Tom Cartwright is a ghost-writer: eking out a living in Edinburgh, he is always ready to assumethe persona of a struggling working mother-of-four, or a round-the-world yachtsman, or a ‘sensual’ aromatherapist – indeed anyone his agent asks him to be, so long as it brings in money. When he is offered the highly lucrative task of ghosting the autobiography of glamorous young soap star Georgina Nye, he and his girlfriend Sara are thrilled: Sara is a big fan of George’s and Tom will finally be able to afford some new carpets for their house.

But soon things go awry when Tom finds himself drawn to George by forces outside his control (even though they are inside his own body). Does his relationship with Sara stand a chance in the face of this explosion of chemistry? Is this love or just oxytocin – and is there a difference?

The bestselling cult comedy from Mil Millington

‘Insightful and wickedly funny’ Heat

Pel Dalton leads an uneventful life. His days are spent bluffing his way through an IT job in the university library, pillow-fighting with his two sons, surviving family outings to the supermarket, and finding new things to argue about with Ursula, his German girlfriend. But things are about to change…

In this funny tale of love, fatherhood and Anglo-German relations Pel discovers that sometimes the things that drive you crazy can be the only things that can keep you sane.

A more-ishly browsable collection of words and phrases, linguistic quirks, lexical oddities and syntactic surprises.

Our langauge is one of delight and curiosity. BUTTERING PARSNIPS, TWOCKING CHAVS is a guided tour of English, exploring the origins of words, their changing meaning, lexical peculiarities, word games and lost words, presented in lists, small passages of narrative text, amusing quotations and nuggets of amazing facts.

This must-have compendium shows that words have a matchless power to entertain. Here you will find enough new words and phrases to last a lifetime. Idioms frolic beside cliches, catchphrases, proverbs, eponyms, acronyms, spoonerisms and split infinitives. Text messages cavort alongside business jargon and rap slang to produce a language that is both witty and bizarre, and sometimes frankly outstanding.

So whether you’re a yuppie or a woopie, a sinbad or dinky, a spod or even a wazzock, these pages will provide endless hours of delight and fascination.

A powerful blend of murder mystery and romance set in the Ottoman Court

A gripping tale of murder in nineteenth-century Istanbul ?

The naked body of a young English woman washes up in the Bosphorus wearing a pendant inscribed with the tughra, the Sultan’s seal, found only on possessions of the imperial household. The Turkish magistrate Kamil Pasha sets out to find the killer, but encounters a web of obstacles and links to the earlier killing of another English woman.

Were these political murders involving the palace or crimes of personal passion? Sybil, the daughter of the English ambassador, uses her connections to help Kamil infiltrate the secret world of the harem. As they untangle the threads, they make powerful enemies in a society where the forces of tradition and modernity collide.

The story of Alan Turing, the persecuted genius who helped break the Enigma code and create the modern computer.

To solve one of the great mathematical problems of his day, Alan Turing proposed an imaginary programmable calculating machine. But the idea of actually producing a ‘thinking machine’ did not crystallise until he and his brilliant Bletchley Park colleagues built devices to crack the Nazis’ Enigma code, thus ensuring the Allied victory in the Second World War. In so doing, Turing became a champion of artificial intelligence, formulating the famous (and still unbeaten) Turing test that challenges our ideas of human consciousness.

But Turing’s work was cut short when, as an openly gay man in a time when homosexuality was illegal in Britain, he was apprehended by the authorities and sentenced to a ‘treatment’ that amounted to chemical castration. Ultimately, it lead to his suicide, and it wasn’t until 2013, after many years of campaigning, that he received a posthumous royal pardon.

With a novelist’s sensitivity, David Leavitt portrays Turing in all his humanity – his eccentricities, his brilliance, his fatal candour – while elegantly explaining his work and its implications.