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Impatience of the Heart (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Stefan ZweigThe great Austrian writer Stefan Zweig was a master anatomist of the deceitful heart, and Impatience of the Heart, the only novel he published during his lifetime, uncovers the seed of selfishness within even the finest of feelings.Hofmiller, an Austro-Hungarian cavalry officer stationed at the edge of the empire, is invited to a party at the home of a rich local landowner, a world away from the dreary routine of the barracks. The surroundings are glamorous, wine flows freely, and the exhilarated young Hofmiller asks his host's lovely daughter for a dance, only to discover that sickness has left her painfully crippled. It is a minor blunder that will destroy his life, as pity and guilt gradually implicate him in a well-meaning but tragically wrongheaded plot to restore the unhappy invalid to health.
James II: The Last Catholic King (Penguin Monarchs)
by David Womersley'James was a king tragically trapped by principle. Yet was it wise to attempt to change the national religion?'The short reign of James II is generally seen as one of the most catastrophic in British history, ending in his exile after he unsuccessfully tried to convert England to Catholicism, a crisis that would haunt the monarchy for generations. Ultimately, David Womersley's biography shows, James was a man whose blindness to subtlety and political reality brought about his ruinous downfall.
King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table (Puffin Classics)
by Roger Lancelyn GreenKing Arthur is one of the greatest legends of all time. From the magical moment when Arthur releases the sword in the stone to the quest for the Holy Grail and the final tragedy of the Last Battle, Roger Lancelyn Green brings the enchanting world of King Arthur stunningly to life.One of the greatest legends of all time, with an inspiring introduction by David Almond, award-winning author of Clay, Skellig, Kit's Wilderness and The Fire-Eaters.
James I: The Phoenix King (Penguin Monarchs)
by Thomas CogswellJames's reign marked one of the very rare major breaks in England's monarchy. Already James VI of Scotland and a highly experienced ruler who had established his authority over the Scottish Kirk, he marched south on Elizabeth I's death to become James I of England and Ireland, uniting the British Isles for the first time and founding the Stuart dynasty which would, with several lurches, reign for over a century. Indeed his descendant still occupies the throne. A complex, curious man and great survivor, James drastically changed court life in London and presided over such major projects as the Authorized Version of the Bible and the establishment of English settlements in Virginia, Massachusetts, Gujarat and the Caribbean. Although he failed to unite England and Scotland, he insisted that ambassadors acknowledge him as King of Great Britain and that vessels from both countries display a version of the current Union Flag. He was often accused of being too informal and insufficiently regal - but when his son, Charles I, decided to redress these criticisms in his own reign he was destroyed. How much of the roots of this disaster were to be found in James's reign is one of the many problems dramatized in Thomas Cogswell's brilliant and highly entertaining new book.
Journey's End (Penguin Modern Classics)
by R. C. SherriffSet in the First World War, Journey's End concerns a group of British officers on the front line and opens in a dugout in the trenches in France. Raleigh, a new eighteen-year-old officer fresh out of English public school, joins the besieged company of his friend and cricketing hero Stanhope, and finds him dramatically changed ...Laurence Olivier starred as Stanhope in the first performance of Journey's End in 1928; the play was an instant stage success and remains a remarkable anti-war classic.
Imogen: the deliciously funny and upbeat novel from the inimitable multimillion-copy bestselling Jilly Cooper
by Jilly Cooper OBEFall in love with Jilly Cooper, one of Britain's most popular authors, in this delightfully light-hearted page-turner of a rom-com. Fans of Jojo Moyes, Marian Keyes, Dolly Alderton and Jane Fallon will simply adore this hilarious read, full of unforgettable characters and pure laugh-out-loud moments...'Joyful and mischievous' -- Jojo Moyes'Fun, sexy and unputdownable' -- Marian Keyes'A delight from start to finish' -- Daily Mail'Escape into an alternative universe in which all is right with the world' -- Guardian'Delightful' -- ***** Reader review'This is in my top 5 reads of all time' -- ***** Reader review'Once you start reading find it hard to put down' -- ***** Reader review'Absolutely brilliant, a book not to be put down until THE END!!' -- ***** Reader review*************************************************************As a librarian, Imogen read a lot of books, but none of them covered what she was to experience on the Riviera.Her holiday with tennis ace, Nicky, and the whole glamorous coterie surrounding Nicky, was a revelation - and so, ultimately, was she. A wild Yorkshire rose among the thorny model girls, Cable and Yvonne, with a rare asset that they'd mislaid years ago...But the path of a jet-set virgin in that lovely, wicked world was a hard one.Imogen began to wonder if virtue really was its own reward...
A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland and the Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides
by James Boswell Samuel JohnsonBook by Samuel Johnson, published in 1775. The Journey was the result of a three-month trip to Scotland that Johnson took with James Boswell in 1773. It contains Johnson's descriptions of the customs, religion, education, trade, and agriculture of a society that was new to him. The account in Boswell's diary, published after Johnson's death as The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, with Samuel Johnson, LL.D. (1785), offers an intimate personal record of Johnson's behavior and conversation during the trip.
Kim
by Rudyard KiplingKipling's epic rendition of the imperial experience in India is also his greatest long work. Two men - Kim, a boy growing into early manhood, and the lama, an old ascetic priest - are fired by a quest. Kim is white, although born in India. While he wants to play the Great Game of imperialism, he is also spiritually bound to the lama and he tries to reconcile these opposing strands. A celebration of their friendship in an often hostile environment, Kim captures the opulence of India's exotic landscape, overlaid by the uneasy presence of the British Raj.Contains an introduction by Harish Trivedi placing the novel in its literary and social context. Also includes notes, chronology, further reading, a General Preface by the series editor Jan Montefiore and Edward Said's famous introduction from the previous Penguin Classics edition as an appendix.
James Hunt: The Biography
by Gerald DonaldsonJames Hunt was a towering personality with a commanding presence, a hugely glamorous public figure who brought Formula One motor racing to the attention of a whole new audience.Triumphing against all odds to become World Drivers' Champion with McLaren in 1976, Hunt sank into a period of decadence and depression, only to be rejuvenated as he found true love for the first time. With that came personal contentment and a renewed zest for living, so that one of the most colourful and controversial figures in Grand Prix racing is best remembered by those close to him as a fun-loving, caring man who had a genuinely uplifting presence - qualities that shine through in Gerald Donaldson's compelling and moving account of his life.
Kim (The Penguin English Library)
by Rudyard Kipling'He knew the wonderful walled city of Lahore from the Delhi Gate to the outer Fort Ditch; was hand in glove with men who led lives stranger than anything Haroun al Raschid dreamed of; and he lived in a life wild as that of the Arabian Nights ...'Kipling's epic rendition of the imperial experience in India is also his greatest long work. Two men - Kim, a boy growing into early manhood, and the lama, an old ascetic priest - are fired by a quest. Kim is white, although born in India. While he wants to play the Great Game of imperialism, he is also spiritually bound to the lama and he tries to reconcile these opposing strands. A celebration of their friendship in an often hostile environment, Kim captures the opulence of India's exotic landscape, overlaid by the uneasy presence of the British Raj.The Penguin English Library - 100 editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century and the very first novels to the beginning of the First World War.
Immediate Response: Original Edition
by Mark Hammond2006 in Helmand saw British forces engaged in the most ferocious fighting since the Korean War. For much of the time they were hanging on by their fingertips, holed up in remote platoon houses, outnumbered, facing relentless assault and nearly overwhelmed. Only the Chinooks kept them in the game. But that meant their crews putting down in hot LZs, exposing their aircraft to withering attack from an enemy for whom downing one of the big helos would be the ultimate prize.They had been lucky. So far. Then they launched their biggest operation yet: a complicated, high-risk airborne assault that launched a fleet of heavily armed helicopters into the Afghan Heart of Darkness. And then a report came over the net that one of the Chinooks was down . . .In Immediate Response, Major Mark Hammond, a Royal Marine flying with the RAF, tells the gripping inside story of the Chinook squadrons' war for the first time. It's a visceral, unputdownable combination of hi-tech and old-fashioned grit; an action-packed story shot through with a mix of aviation fuel and cordite ...
James Connolly: My Search for the Man, the Myth and his Legacy
by Sean O'CallaghanFROM THE FORMER IRA MEMBER AND AUTHOR OF THE INFORMER, SEAN O'CALLAGHAN'Very interesting on how fanaticism can develop within a community, and especially relevant today.' Bob GeldofThe story of revolutionary James Connolly, his role in the 1916 Easter Rising, and his subsequent influence both on O'Callaghan himself, and on 20th century Irish politics.Easter Monday, 24th April, 1916: James Connolly, a 48-year-old Edinburgh-born Marxist and former British soldier, stands at the top of the steps of Liberty Hall, Dublin. 'We are going out to be slaughtered,' Connolly told his comrades, and with this he set in train the Easter Rising of 1916.Two weeks later, in a scene that has haunted Nationalist Ireland ever since, he was carried to his place of execution having been badly wounded. Placed on a chair, he was shot dead by soldiers of the army he had once served in.This is not a traditional biography; it is a book about Sean O'Callaghan's relationship with a man who was to deeply influence his formative years; it is about the politics of violent extremism that O'Callaghan subsequently became caught up in; and it's about the kind of individuals who are willing to sacrifice everything, including their lives, for a holy cause.Never has a book been more timely.
Journey to the Centre of the Earth: Journey To The Centre Of The Earth (Puffin Classics)
by Jules VerneAn ancient book is opened by the eccentric Professor Lidenbrock and his life – and the life of his nephew Axel – is changed for ever. An old piece of paper has tumbled from the book, a priceless parchment that will lead them on a terrifying journey to find what lies at the centre of the Earth. A timeless adventure, brilliantly introduced by Diana Wynne Jones, one of Britain's top fantasy and sci-fi writers for children.
Journey to the Centre of the Earth
by Jules VerneRead this perilous and astonishing adventure into the earth's core.After decoding a scrap of paper in runic script, the intrepid Professor Lidenbrock and his nervous nephew Axel travel across Iceland to find the secret passage to the centre of the earth. Enlisting the silent Hans as a guide, the trio encounter a perilous and astonishing subterranean world of natural hazards, curious sights, prehistoric beasts and sea monsters.‘Verne's imagination has given us some of the greatest adventure stories of all time’ Daily Mail
Kim
by Rudyard KiplingReared in the teeming streets of India at the turn of the century, the orphan Kim is the 'Friend of the all the World', an cheeky imp with an endless interest in the extraoridinary characters he meets daily. One of them, an old Tibetan lama, sets him on the path that will lead him to travel the Great Trunk Road, and become a spy for the British...Kipling's masterpiece with a fascinating introduction by Susan Cooper, author of the award-winning Dark is Rising series.
Immediate Action
by Andy McNabImmediate Action is a no-holds-barred account of an extraordinary life, from the day Andy McNab was found in a carrier bag on the steps of Guy's Hospital to the day he went to fight in the Gulf War.As a delinquent youth he kicked against society. As a young soldier he waged war against the IRA in the streets and fields of South Armagh. As a member of 22 SAS Regiment he was at the centre of covert operations for nine years - on five continents.Recounting with grim humour and in riveting, often horrifying, detail his activities in the world's most highly trained and efficient Special Forces unit, McNab sweeps us into a world of surveillance and intelligence-gathering, counter-terrorism and hostage rescue.There are casualties: the best men are so often the first to be killed, because they are in front.By turns chilling, astonishing, violent, funny and moving, this blistering first-hand account of life at the forward edge of battle confirms Andy McNab's standing in the front rank of writers on modern war.
Jake's Treasure
by Robin Hanbury-TenisonJake's on a mission. His granny has told him many stories of his grandad who was a plantation manager in India, during the war. He had risked his life to save a sacred treasure from the encroaching Japanese army. Now Jake finds himself in India, walking in his grandfather's footsteps and determined to right the wrongs of the past and return the lost treasure - no matter what the dangers that might lie in his path . . .
Kim
by Rudyard KiplingKipling's epic rendition of the imperial experience in India is also his greatest long work. Two men - Kim, a boy growing into early manhood and the lama, an old ascetic priest - are fired by a quest. Kim is white, a sahib, although born in India. While he wants to play the Great Game of Imperialism, he is also spiritually bound to the lama and he tries to reconcile these opposing strands, while the lama searches for redemption from the Wheel of Life. A celebration of their friendship in an often hostile environment, Kim captures the opulence of India's exotic landscape, overlaid by the uneasy presence of the British Raj.
Journey To The Sea
by Gil McNeil Hugo Tagholm Sarah BrownWhether it is memories of childhood holidays or exotic fantasies of faraway places, a sea and its coast forms the most evocative of landscapes. Combining elements of romance, danger and mystery, it provides the perfect inspiration for this unique collection. The finest writers from our water-bound nation, including Alexander McCall Smith, Ruth Rendell, Joanne Harris, Joseph O'Connor and Libby Purvis, give us their accounts of adventures and chance encounters, short stories and non-fiction pieces representing the many facets of the sea's power that will haunt and inspire. The collection also includes gripping accounts of real-life adventures on the ocean from such experienced sailors as Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Alan West and Tracy Edwards.A literary tribute to the last earthly frontier - the ocean.
The Imitation of Christ (The\five Foot Shelf Of Classics Ser.)
by Thomas à KempisOne of the most influential and well-loved books of Christianity, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis appears here in Penguin Classics in a new translation by Robert Jeffery, with an introduction by Max Von Habsburg, notes, a chronology and further reading.The Imitation of Christ is a passionate celebration of God's love, mercy and holiness, which has stimulated religious devotion for over five hundred years. With great personal conviction and deep humanity, Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471) demonstrates the individual's reliance on God and on the words of Christ, and the futility of a life without faith, as well as exploring the ideas such as humility, compassion, patience and tolerance. Thomas spent some seventy years of his life in the reclusive environment of monasteries, yet in this astonishing work he demonstrates an encompassing understanding of human nature, while his writing speaks to readers of every age and every nation.Thomas à Kempis was born at Kempen near Dusseldorf in 1380. He received the priesthood in 1413. Thomas wrote many other devotional works besides The Imitation of Christ, his masterpiece, as well as biographies of Gerald Groote and Florentius Radewyn. He died in 1471.The Very Revd Robert Jeffery was born in 1935 and ordained in 1959. He has written on matters of Church history, spirituality, mission and ecumenism. In 1978, he became Archdeacon of Salop, and was Dean of Worcester from 1987-96 and subsequently Canon and Sub-Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. He retired in 2002 and is an Hon Doctor of Divinity of Birmingham University.Max von Habsburg is the author of Catholic and Protestant Translations of the Imitatio Christi 1425-1650 (2011).
Jake's Safari
by Robin Hanbury-TenisonJake's on the adventure of a lifetime, under a blazing African sun. Jake's staying at a Samburu village when some of their cattle are stolen by rustlers. A chase ensues and they need to keep all their wits about them as they face the culprits, the elements and the animals of the wide-open African plains. Then, when Jake becomes separated from the rest of the tribe, he finds himself involved in a new, and even more frightening battle... for his own survival...
Journey To Freedom
by Colin DannLingmere Zoo is about to close and its twin lionesses, Lorna and Ellen, will be put down unless a new home can be found for them. So when a sanctuary in Africa offers to take the animals, Lorna and Ellen begin the long journey together. But Lorna wants her freedom and dramatically escapes ot the English countryside leaving Ellen to face an unknown fate, alone.Can the lionesses survive without each other in their frightening and confusing new worlds? And will they ever meet again?
Kim
by Rudyard Kipling'No summary can do this marvellous, rich and unforgettable novel anything like justice' Philip PullmanKim is an orphan who earns his living begging on the streets of Lahore. One day he befriends an aged Tibetan Lama who, although content to live simply in India, is a rich and powerful abbot in his own country. When the Lama recruits Kim as a disciple and then funds his education at an English public school an adventure begins that will take the unlikely pair to the Himalayas on a thrilling journey of espionage and enlightenment.'The greatest of all Kipling's books' E. M. Forster
Jake's Escape
by Robin Hanbury-TenisonWhen a fishing trip goes wrong, twelve year old Jake finds himself alone and lost in the Amazon rainforest. Flesh-eating piranhas, infected wounds and attacks from vicious jungle creatures are the least of his worries - how is he going to ESCAPE?
