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Wings of the Storm: (The Rise of Sigurd 3): An all-action, gripping Viking saga from bestselling author Giles Kristian (Sigurd #3)
by Giles KristianA Viking saga of warmongering, honour and loyalty from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lancelot, Giles Kristian. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Games of Thrones."A fitting end to a trilogy that fans of Bernard Cornwell should devour" -- THE TIMES"The master storyteller...whose books throw the reader headlong into the Viking age." -- BEN KANE"This remains Viking writing at its best: thrilling in it truest sense, heart-rendering and, yes, glorious." -- MANDA SCOTT"Probably the best Viking saga I have ever read -- ***** Reader review "Wonderfully written and researched, the whole series makes the entire Nordic world come alive" -- ***** Reader review"This trilogy is gripping from start to finish" -- ***** Reader review*****************************************THE GODS MUST BE FAVOURED...Norway, AD 785. A wild place, a place of blood, a place where the gods hold sway . . .Sigurd Haraldarson and his oathsworn band are winning fame and reputation. But to confront his hated enemy - the oath-breaker and betrayer King Gorm - they must win riches too.When a daring raid goes wrong, Sigurd finds himself a prisoner of the powerful Jarl Guthrum. Bound like a slave, he is taken to the sacred temple at Ubsola to face the sacrificial knife.But here Sigurd discovers a potent relic: Gungnir, a great spear that would give him the power to assemble a host strong enough to challenge King Gorm, and avenge the betrayal of his father and the murder of his family.The roar of Odin and the wild hunt will be as nothing compared to Sigurd's rage, for he and his warriors will be borne on the wings of the storm . . .Wings of the Storm concludes the Viking saga, started in God of Vengeance and Winter's Fire.
The Wings of the Dove
by Henry James'She found herself, for the first moment, looking at the mysterious portrait through tears. Perhaps it was her tears that made it just then so strange and fair ... the face of a young woman, all splendidly drawn, down to the hands, and splendidly dressed ... And she was dead, dead, dead'Emerging from the grit and stigma of poverty to a life of fairytale privilege under the wing of her aunt, the beautiful and financially ambitious Kate Croy is already romantically involved with promising journalist Merton Densher when they become acquainted with Milly Theale, a New York socialite of immense wealth. Learning of Milly's mortal illness and passionate attraction to Densher, Kate sets the scene for a romantic betrayal intended to secure her lasting financial security. As the dying Milly retreats within the carnival splendour of a Venetian palazzo, becoming the frail hub of a predatory circle of fortune-seekers, James unfolds a resonant, brooding tale of doomed passion, betrayal, human resilience and remorse.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.
The Wings of the Dove
by Henry JamesBeautiful Kate Croy may have been left penniless by her relatives, but her bold, ambitious nature ensures she will not succumb meekly to a life of poverty. If the financial circumstances of Merton Densher, the man she is passionately in love with, are not sufficient to secure her future, perhaps her cunning will. So when Milly Theale arrives in Europe from America, laden with wealth but also gravely ill, Kate sees an opportunity to exploit her vulnerability and devises a plan that will see her and Merton financially provided for. Her scheming is flawed though, for it fails to take into account the inconstancies of the human heart.John Bayley's introduction examines the novel in the context of James's other late, great works.
Winging It: Twenty-one extraordinary interviews from The Tommy Tiernan Show
by Tommy Tiernan'A great read' Brendan O'Connor, RTÉIn nearly three decades as a performer, Tommy Tiernan has never wanted to play it safe. So, when it came to doing a chat show, he threw out the rule book: going in blind, not knowing who would turn up. It could be a global star, like Adam Clayton, or a statesman like Michael D Higgins, or someone unknown to Tommy (and most of his audience), like autism awareness activist, Ciara-Beth Ni Ghriofa or geneticist Aoife McLysaght. It's high-wire stuff and makes for electrifying viewing. Winging It brings together twenty-one extraordinary interviews from The Tommy Tiernan Show on RTÉ One - a mix of the profound, the profane, the funny and the moving.Tommy's belief in honest conversation is at the heart of Winging It. Whether getting to grips with the finer points of boxing with World Champion Kellie Harrington or preserving history with archivist Catriona Crowe. Or talking God with old friend Michael Harding or mental health with Blindboy Boatclub. Or sitting with moments of pain in conversations about grief (Bob Geldof), FGM (Ifrah Ahmed) or drinking (Paul McGrath). It's all about curiosity, bravery and a willingness to listen.Winging It includes material that did not make the TV screen and the interviews are as gripping to read as they were to watch.'Tiernan is superb at forming a rapport ... Seeing his words written down, reveals a natural instinct for drawing people out' Business Post
Wing of Madness
by Mae NixonA dark, edgy and thrilling novel of sexual discoveryAs a university academic, Claire has always sought safety in facts and information. But then she meets Jim and he becomes her guide on a sensual journey with no limits except their own imagination - and Claire's has always been overactive. She learns to submit to a man totally, to be his to use for pleasure or sensual punishment. Together they begin to explore the dark, forbidden places inside her and she quickly learns how little she really knows about her own erotic nature. The only thing she knows with absolute certainty is that she never wants it to stop . . .
A Wing And A Prayer
by Mary SelbyIn the quiet village of Great Barking, strange doings are afoot.Up at the Hall the squire, Sir George, seems to have exhausted his wife Angela - leaving her quite unable to contemplate the rigours of hosting the annual village fête in the Hall grounds.Caroline, the doctor's wife, has her time taken up with her three tiny children, but feels that as a newcomer to the village she should offer her own rather more modest garden as the venue for this important local affair. But who is to open it?Will Sir George's elderly mother, now somewhat unpredictable, be asked, as tradition dictates?Or should Sarah Struther, the voluptuous lady potter who prefers to work unencumbered by clothing and who has just been featured in a smart Sunday newspaper, be invited?The village fête committee decides that a commission to Sarah to fashion a special pot for the fête, to be entitled The Organ (suggesting the need for funds to combat dry rot in the organ loft) may be a better idea, little suspecting that the title may be open to misconstruction.And in the churchyard the tall privet bush has been lovingly fashioned by old Jacob Bean into a shape so curious that coachloads of sightseers start arriving to view it...
Wine Uncorked: My guide to the world of wine
by Fred SirieixHow to select wine for its taste, not its packaging or its price. Knowing the difference between all those bottles on the supermarket shelves will double the pleasure you get from a glass of wine and, with Fred Sirieix as your guide, you'll discover how to get the flavour you want. In Wine Uncorked, Fred decants a career's worth of expertise, revealing how everything from percentage to vintage impacts what ends up in your glass, how to decipher a label and the optimum temperatures for serving. He then takes you on a tour of the regions, showing you how the landscape and climate work their magic on the wine produced around the world, highlighting key producers to suit all budgets along the way.If you have ever said, 'I wish I knew more about wine,' this is the book for you.
Windy Webley
by K M PeytonWebley is a fine black army horse, ridden by a soldier called Fred. But he is not a very GOOD army horse. When he gets bored, he crosses his eyes, drops his ears out sideways and hangs his tongue out. And when he gets very bored, he lifts his tail and makes a very rude noise . . .A delightful and light-hearted horsey tale, perfect for young readers.
The Windspinner
by Berlie DohertyFirst the fairies took Tam's little sister, Blue. Then they took his Great-Grandpa Toby. Now Tam has to keep a great secret - not only is Great-Grandpa still in Faery as King, but the old King of the fairies, Oban, is now in Tam's world disguised as a boy Tam's age!At first, it's lots of fun having Oban and his magic around. He manages to charm everybody - even Tam's teacher at school. But then things start to go wrong . . .When Tam finds the magical Windspinner that Great-Grandpa Toby left for him, Oban can't make the magic work like Tam can and he disappears in a huff and starts causing chaos. The only person who can stop the trouble and call Oban home to fairy land is his mother, the Damson Hag. But she's locked up tight in a golden cage. So Tam sets off on another adventure to Faery - this time with Great-great aunt California at his side - to rescue the Damson Hag and try and return Oban and Great-grandpa Toby to their right homes . . .
Winds of Change: Britain in the Early Sixties
by Peter HennessyFollowing Never Again and Having It So Good, the third part of Peter Hennessy's celebrated Post-War Trilogy'By far the best study of early Sixties Britain ... so much fun, yet still shrewd and important' The Times, Books of the Year Harold Macmillan famously said in 1960 that the wind of change was blowing over Africa and the remaining British Empire. But it was blowing over Britain too - its society; its relationship with Europe; its nuclear and defence policy. And where it was not blowing hard enough - the United Kingdom's economy - great efforts were made to sweep away the cobwebs of old industrial practices and poor labour relations. Life was lived in the knowledge that it could end in a single afternoon of thermonuclear exchange if the uneasy, armed peace of the Cold War tipped into a Third World War.In Winds of Change we see Macmillan gradually working out his 'grand design' - how to be part of both a tight transatlantic alliance and Europe, dealing with his fellow geostrategists Kennedy and de Gaulle. The centre of the book is 1963 - the year of the Profumo Crisis, the Great Train Robbery, the satire boom, de Gaulle's veto of Britain's first application to join the EEC, the fall of Macmillan and the unexpected succession to the premiership of Alec Douglas-Home. Then, in 1964, the battle of what Hennessy calls the tweedy aristocrat and the tweedy meritocrat - Harold Wilson, who would end 13 years of Conservative rule and usher in a new era.As in his acclaimed histories of British life in the two previous decades, Never Again and Having it so Good, Peter Hennessy explains the political, economic, cultural and social aspects of a nation with inimitable wit and empathy. No historian knows the by-ways as well the highways of the archives so well, and no one conveys the flavour of the period so engagingly. The early sixties live again in these pages.
Windharp: Poems of Ireland since 1916
by Niall MacMonagleWindharp: Niall MacMonagle's essential anthology of the last century of Irish poetryThe Easter Rising of 1916 was a foundational moment of the independent Irish state; but while that insurrection continues to divide opinion, there is no disagreement as to the majesty of Yeats's 'Easter 1916', or about the excellence of the Irish poetic tradition over the past century. Windharp is an anthology that follows the twists and turns of Irish history, culture and society through the work of its remarkable standing army of poets. Edited by Niall MacMonagle, Ireland's most trusted poetry commentator,Windharp is an accessible and inspiring journey through a century of Irish life.'A landmark book' Clive James, TLS Books of the Year'Glorious' Irish Examiner'Beautifully produced ... an appealing and appetite-whetting introduction to a century's poetry' Irish Times'Beautifully judged ... poised perfectly between the canon and the tradition, with a generous inclusiveness' Eavan Boland, Irish Times'A perfect selection. One of the best anthologies of Irish poetry ever produced.' Donal Ryan
The Wind in the Willows (Puffin Classics)
by Kenneth GrahameThe much-loved classic tales of Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad. When Mole goes boating with Ratty instead of doing his spring-cleaning, he discovers a whole new world. As well as adventures on the river and in the Wild Wood, there are high jinks on the open road with that reckless ruffian, Mr Toad of Toad Hall. Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad become the firmest of friends, but after Toad's latest escapade, can they join together and beat the wretched weasels once and for all?The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame is one of the twelve wonderful classic stories being relaunched in Puffin Classics in March 2008.
The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth GrahamThe day that Mole abandons his spring-cleaning and sets out to enjoy the sunshine is the start of many adventures. Not only does he discover the river and the joys of messing around in boats, but he also makes lifelong friends with Rat, Badger and the eccentric and incorrigible Toad.
The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame"Ho! ho! I am the Toad, the motor-car snatcher, the prison-breaker, the Toad who always escapes!" Tired of spring cleaning, Mole ventures above ground into the warm sunshine, and happens upon his friend Ratty. Together they picnic on the sparkling, burbling river, brave the sinister Wild Wood in wintertime to visit the bad-tempered Badger, and take to the open road in a caravan with dear, silly old Toad. But when Toad's attention turns to motor cars, his reckless behaviour goes from bad to worse. Badger, Rat and Mole must save their friend from ruin, and Toad Hall from the clutches of the rascally Stoats and Weasels.BACKSTORY: Get outdoors and explore the natural world, and test your knowledge of The Wind in the Willows.
Win or Learn: MMA, Conor McGregor and Me: A Trainer's Journey
by John KavanaghConor McGregor's trainer tells the amazing story of his long road to success in the world's fastest-growing sportGrowing up in Dublin, John Kavanagh was a skinny lad who was frequently bullied. As a young man, after suffering a bad beating when he intervened to help a woman who was being attacked, he decided he had to learn to defend himself. Before long, he was training fighters in a tiny shed, and promoting the earliest mixed-martial arts events in Ireland. And then, a cocky kid called Conor McGregor walked into his gym ...In Win or Learn, John Kavanagh tells his own remarkable life story - which is at the heart of the story of the extraordinary explosion of MMA in Ireland and globally. Employing the motto 'win or learn', Kavanagh has become a guru to young men and women seeking to master the arts of combat. And as the trainer of the world's most charismatic champion, his gym has become a magnet for talented fighters from all over the globe. Kavanagh's portrait of Conor McGregor - who he has seen in his lowest moments, as well as in his greatest triumphs - is a revelation. What emerges from Win or Learn is a remarkable portrait of ambition, discipline, and persistence in the face of years and years of disappointment. It is a must read for every MMA fan - but also for anyone who wants to understand how to follow a dream and realize a vision.'For anyone interested in following their dream to the end of the line' Tony Parsons'It kept me up well past my bedtime' Sean O'Rourke, RTE Radio One'Remarkable' Irish Times'Kavanagh is open and honest about his upbringing ... The journey hasn't been easy, but Kavanagh's inbuilt determination has carried him all the way' Irish Examiner
A Wiltshire Diary
by Francis KilvertFrancis Kilvert's diary shows a compassionate and thoughtful delight in the people and beautiful surroundings of the English countryside. With good cheer he records his loves (among them poetry and the attentions of pretty girls) and his dislikes (including a distaste for bathing in knickers that leaves more than one beach scandalized), as well as the town folklore and parishioner's stories that his tender interest in others arouses. Heartfelt, humorous and reflective, this is a transportive glimpse of a time gone by.Generations of inhabitants have helped shape the English countryside - but it has profoundly shaped us too.It has provoked a huge variety of responses from artists, writers, musicians and people who live and work on the land - as well as those who are travelling through it.English Journeys celebrates this long tradition with a series of twenty books on all aspects of the countryside, from stargazey pie and country churches, to man's relationship with nature and songs celebrating the patterns of the countryside (as well as ghosts and love-struck soldiers).
The Wilt Alternative: (Wilt Series 2) (Wilt #2)
by Tom SharpeHenry Wilt is no longer the victim of his own uncontrolled fantasies. As Head of a reconstituted Liberal Studies Department he has assumed power without authority at the Fenland College of Arts & Technology and the fantasies he now confronts are those of political bigots and reactionary bureaucrats - in addition to his wife's enthusiasm for every Organic Alternative under the compost heap and the insistence of his quadruplets on looking at every problem with an unflinching lack of sentimentality. It is only when Wilt becomes the unintentional participant in a terrorist siege that he is forced to find an answer to the problems of power, which have corrupted greater men than he. With a mental ingenuity born of his innate cowardice, Wilt fights for those liberal values which are threatened both by international terrorism and by the sophisticated methods of police anti-terrorist agents. In the confusion that follows, Wilt resumes his dialogue with the unflagging Inspector Flint and is himself subjected to the indignity of a psycho-political profile. Bitingly funny and brilliantly written, The Wilt Alternative exposes the farcical anomalies, which have become the social norms of our time.
Willpower!: How to Master Self-control
by Gillian RileyYou already have willpower. Everyone does. All you need is to learn how to use it. With just a little practice, willpower can work even when you don't feel inspired, when you are faced with your strongest temptations. And the wonderful news is that willpower isn't something that gets handed out to some and not others. It's simply a matter of understanding how to access it and unlock its potential. When you do you'll see just how liberating, exciting and rewarding using willpower can be. Very soon, rather than being your own worst enemy, you'll become your own best friend.Use the brilliant strategies in this book to:- overcome addictive behaviours- quit smoking- take control of overeating- achieve your dreams- enhance your lifeWith a little belief, some confidence and the techniques laid out in this revolutionary book, you'll soon discover just how strong your willpower can be.
Willie Nelson: The Outlaw
by Graeme ThomsonIn this intimate and engaging biography, Graeme Thomson interviews Nelson himself, his band and those who knew him best en route to discovering the real Willie Nelson. The Outlaw brilliantly describes a complex and compelling man whose life and music reflect something fundamental at the heart of twentieth-century America. Thomson's revealing portrait is a timely reminder of the stature and achievements of a true living legend. Covering everything from dirt poor beginnings in Texas, global fame in the 70s, four marriages, the death of a son and affairs with Amy Irving and Candice Bergen up to his current position as a 73-year-old pot smoking man of the road, Thomson's account emerges as the first detailed, clear-eyed account of Nelson's fascinating life.
Williams: The legendary story of Frank Williams and his F1 team in their own words
by Maurice HamiltonA story of true drive – now the topic of a major documentaryFounded in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head, Williams F1 represents the last of the true independent teams; a company devoid of corporate dogma and run by enthusiasts driven by a love of racing and the satisfaction that comes with beating the rest of the world. Since its first Grand Prix victory at Silverstone on 14 July 1979, the team has won a further 116 GPs, delivered seven World Champions - among them Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill - and won nine Constructors Championships.This is the definitive history of the Williams team as told by those who have worked for Williams past and present. At the heart of the book are Sir Frank's personal recollections, along with memories and anecdotes from those at every level: from the shop floor to the upper strata of management; from the mechanics and machinists to the drivers - Mansell, Hill, Alain Prost and Alan Jones among them. It relates both the incredible highs of winning against the odds while never shying the terrible lows - the tragic deaths of Piers Courage in 1970 and Ayrton Senna in 1994 among them.Conveying the history and soul of a unique band of people, Williams F1 explains exactly why the Williams team is held in more affection than any other team in Britain, if not the world.
William Wallace: Brave Heart
by Dr James MackaySir William Wallace of Ellerslie is one of history's greatest heroes, but also one of its greatest enigmas - a shadowy figure whose edges have been blurred by myth and legend. Even the date and place of his birth have been mis-stated - until now. James Mackay uses all his skills as a historical detective to produce this definitive biography, telling the incredible story of a man who, without wealth or noble birth, rose to become Guardian of Scotland. William Wallace, with superb generalship and tactical genius, led a country with no previous warlike tradition to triumph gloriously over the much larger, better-armed and better-trained English forces. Seven hundred years later, the heroism and betrayal, the valiant deeds and the dark atrocities, and the struggle of a small nation against a brutal and powerful empire, still create a compelling tale.
William IV: A King at Sea (Penguin Monarchs)
by Roger KnightWilliam IV, the 'Sailor King', reigned for just seven years. Rash and impetuous as a young man, he was sent to join the navy by his father, George III, to bring him to order, but he was overpromoted at an early age and saw his years of active service marked by a series of calamities. He was also notorious for his mounting debts and his long relationship with the actress Mrs Jordan, with whom he had ten children.Yet, as Roger Knight, one of Britain's foremost naval historians, shows in this concise and perceptive biography, William's bluff, unpolished sailor's manner made him popular with the people. Inheriting the throne amid strikes, riots and the push for parliamentary reform, he helped see the country through the great constitutional crisis of the era. Despite his many flaws, he was perhaps a better king than sailor, leaving the monarchy in a healthier state than when he found it, and enabling the smooth succession of his niece, Victoria.
William III & Mary II: Partners in Revolution (Penguin Monarchs)
by Jonathan KeatesWilliam III (1689-1702) & Mary II (1689-94) (Britain's only ever 'joint monarchs') changed the course of the entire country's history, coming to power through a coup (which involved Mary betraying her own father), reestablishing parliament on a new footing and, through commiting Britain to fighting France, initiating an immensely long period of warfare and colonial expansion. Jonathan Keates' wonderful book makes both monarchs vivid, the cold, shrewd 'Dutch' William and the shortlived Mary, whose life and death inspired Purcell to write some of his greatest music.
William II: The Red King (Penguin Monarchs)
by John GillinghamWilliam II (1087-1100), or William Rufus, will always be most famous for his death: killed by an arrow while out hunting, perhaps through accident or perhaps murder. But, as John Gillingham makes clear in this elegant book, as the son and successor to William the Conqueror it was William Rufus who had to establish permanent Norman rule. A ruthless, irascible man, he frequently argued acrimoniously with his older brother Robert over their father's inheritance - but he also handed out effective justice, leaving as his legacy one of the most extraordinary of all medieval buildings, Westminster Hall.
William I: England's Conqueror (Penguin Monarchs)
by Marc MorrisOn Christmas Day 1066, William, duke of Normandy was crowned in Westminster, the first Norman king of England. It was a disaster: soldiers outside, thinking shouts of acclamation were treachery, torched the surrounding buildings. To later chroniclers, it was an omen of the catastrophes to come.During the reign of William the Conqueror, England experienced greater and more seismic change than at any point before or since. Marc Morris's concise and gripping biography sifts through the sources of the time to give a fresh view of the man who changed England more than any other, as old ruling elites were swept away, enemies at home and abroad (including those in his closest family) were crushed, swathes of the country were devastated and the map of the nation itself was redrawn, giving greater power than ever to the king. When, towards the end of his reign, William undertook a great survey of his new lands, his subjects compared it to the last judgement of God, the Domesday Book. England had been transformed forever.