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Henry V: From Playboy Prince to Warrior King (Penguin Monarchs)
by Anne CurryForemost medieval historian Anne Curry offers a new reinterpretation of Henry V and the battle that defined his kingship: AgincourtHenry V's invasion of France, in August 1415, represented a huge gamble. As heir to the throne, he had been a failure, cast into the political wilderness amid rumours that he planned to depose his father. Despite a complete change of character as king - founding monasteries, persecuting heretics, and enforcing the law to its extremes - little had gone right since. He was insecure in his kingdom, his reputation low. On the eve of his departure for France, he uncovered a plot by some of his closest associates to remove him from power. Agincourt was a battle that Henry should not have won - but he did, and the rest is history. Within five years, he was heir to the throne of France. In this vivid new interpretation, Anne Curry explores how Henry's hyperactive efforts to expunge his past failures, and his experience of crisis - which threatened to ruin everything he had struggled to achieve - defined his kingship, and how his astonishing success at Agincourt transformed his standing in the eyes of his contemporaries, and of all generations to come.
The Girlflesh Captives
by Adriana ArdenThe Shiller Company's secret consensual slavegirl business is ruthlessly exploited by its archrival Harvey Rochester when he has an entire truckload of their beautiful and highly trained slave girls abducted.The girls will be forced to work in his own cruel slave houses and also serve as hostages guaranteeing Shiller's will replace them with a fresh batch when they are exhausted.Vanessa Buckingham, happily working for Shillers as a slave reporter for The Girlflesh News, has suffered torture at Rochester's hands once before and knows this state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue.She is further motivated by the fact that her slave lover Kashika will be in the next batch of girls to be handed over to Rochester. Rochester must be stopped for good, his slave business destroyed and the captive girls rescued.But how can his elaborate security precautions be bypassed?To succeed Vanessa must risk all and enter a secret world of depravity and suffering.Third part of the kinky and thrilling Girlflesh trilogy
The Haunted Dolls' House: And Other Stories
by M. R. JamesEvil comes with many different faces.A macabre human drama is re-enacted in a Gothic dolls’ house one night; a whistle awakens a force of unspeakable malevolence; an ancient curse is passed from person to person; a grisly crime is avenged from beyond the grave; the tomb of a Swedish count will not rest quietly …M. R. James’s chilling ghost stories reveal a world where the familiar becomes diabolical, the smallest object can lead to unimaginable horror, and evil brushes against everyday life in the most unexpected and sinister of ways.
Henry V
by William Shakespeare'At one and the same time the greatest of all works of English patriotism and a searing critique of warfare' Jonathan BateYoung King Henry wages war on France. Tainted by his family's past crimes and with enemies among his own men, he must face the difficult responsibilities of kingship, unite his country and rouse his 'band of brothers' to battle at Agincourt. An heroic coming-of-age story and a work of stirring patriotic oratory, Henry V also has darker undercurrents that ultimately question the price of military victory.Used and Recommended by the National TheatreGeneral Editor Stanley WellsEdited by A. R. Humphreys with an Introduction by Ann Kaegi
A Girl Next Door: An Adams Family Saga Novel (The Adams Family #25)
by Mary Jane StaplesBoots Adams celebrates his 60th birthday in style with an old-fashioned Cockney knees-up, even if Gemma, James and the rest of the younger people insist that the music has to be rock and roll. The new generation of the family are growing up quickly - Philip and Phoebe are spending a lot of time together, and Maureen has ambitions to become a model, having her picture taken for the newspapers as she hopes for fame and fortune. Meanwhile, there are changes on the way. A local company wants to take over Adams Fashions, and Boots and Sammy have difficult decisions to make. Rosie and Matt are thinking about selling the farm, but worry about Joe and Hortense, their loyal workers. While Felicity has resigned herself to never regaining her sight, Polly sees a familiar face that she can't place - a mysterious stranger who is being sheltered in Walworth. Anneliese encounters someone she never wished to see again, and turns to Boots for help.
Hands of the Ripper
by Guy AdamsHe is raising the poker again and Anna bites her lower lip so hard she chokes a little in the blood that runs down her throat...On a cold, wet night recently widowed psychology lecturer John Pritchard visits spiritualist Aida Golding with his son. Although wary something has driven him here. And he is drawn to a troubled young woman who is trying to contact her child. Something about her intrigues him and despite his doubts he continues to attend meetings.One night at an intimate séance in Aida's house the lights go out and one of the group is brutally murdered. John has his suspicions but he can't prove anything. He senses that Aida has some hold over the girl and he offers her a place of refuge in his home. But the past haunts Anna in the most chilling of ways. And all too soon John realises he's made a terrible mistake...
Haunted by Harvard: Continents of Exile: 8 (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Ved MehtaBook 8 in Ved Mehta's Continents of Exile series. Nearly 50 years in the making, Continents of Exile is one of the great works of twentieth-century autobiography: the epic chronicle of an Indian family in the twentieth century. From 1930s India to 1950s Oxford and literary New York in the 1960s-80s, this is the story of the post-colonial twentieth century, as uniquely experienced and vividly recounted by Ved Mehta.Veritas continues Mehta's journey through education: this time as a Ph.D. student and Residential Fellow at Harvard. His experience illustrates the dramatic changes in institutional habits and behaviour that were to take places in the late 1960s, as well as how dramatically out-of-touch many senior lecturers were to the societal mood around them.
Henry V
by A. Humphreys William ShakespeareShakespeare's immutable history of Henry's victory over the French at Agincourt and the subsequent peace between the two nations is also a study of war and kingship. From a wild youth, Henry comes to embody all of the kingly virtues: courage, justice, integrity and honour. Ironically these qualities are brought to the fore by the realities of war. Written at the end of the life of Elizabeth I, Henry V told the British people that with strong leadership, they had little to fear at a time of uncertainty.
A Girl in Wartime
by Maggie FordThere’s no escape from the effects of war...It’s June 1914 and young Connie Lovell should be helping with the war effort. Instead, she applies for a job at the London Herald, where she meets the handsome editor Stephen Clayton.Nine years her senior, she knows her family won’t approve. She is helplessly drawn to him, and despite a past he won’t talk about, he is undeniably attracted to her. But as the war rages on, will Stephen be forced to enlist, and can their union survive the consequences?
The Handmaidens
by Aran AsheTormunil can be an exceedingly harsh place for pretty young serving girls. Destined for a life of sexual slavery at the hands of merciless overlords, the chosen ones are taken to the Abbey - a place where strength is learnt through obedience to those who follow the path of the Twisted Cross.Taken into this strange world, the young and beautiful Sianon and Iroise are allowed few privileges. Tormented to the peaks of pleasure, but punished if they seek release, their only hope of escape lies with the handsome young traveller who has fallen for their charms. If he can enter the Abbey unnoticed, he may be able to rescue them. But if he is caught, he faces an inquisition beyond the realms of his darkest dreams.
Henry James: A Life in Letters
by James HenryJames's correspondents included presidents and prime ministers, painters and great ladies, actresses and bishops, and the writers Robert Louis Stevenson, H.G. Wells and Edith Wharton. This fully-annotated selection from James's eloquent correspondence allows the writer to reveal himself and the fascinating world in which he lived. The letters provide a rich and fascinating source for James' views on his own works, on the literary craft, on sex, politics and friendship. Together they constitute, in Philip Horne's own words, James' 'real and best biography'.
The Girl in the Wicker Basket
by Ann KennyWhen Ann Kenny was four years old her foster mother hit her across the face with a fireplace shovel. She was left lying unconscious on the cold hard floor while the family went to mass. She almost lost an eye.This is just one of the childhood incidents Ann recalls in her vivid, shocking memoir of growing up in rural Ireland, in a house where she wasn't wanted. Her early story is Cinderella-like, but without the happy ending: she had two older sisters who were loved, but Ann was put to work on household chores and received constant neglect and physical abuse, and sexual abuse from her grandfather. On growing up Ann found it hard to escape the shadows of her past, marrying an alcoholic and effectively raised her children herself. Ann eventually found the road to recovery and her book is a testament to the strength of a survivor. She began writing the book as she set to find out who was the tiny child she remembered left in a wicker basket - that child turned out to be herself.
Handmaiden of Palmyra
by Fleur ReynoldsA lavish erotic historical set in 3rd Century Syria...Palmyra: a lush oasis in the heart of the Syrian Desert. The inquisitive, beautiful and fiercely independent Samoya takes her place as apprentice priestess in the temple of Antich. Decadent bachelor Prince Alif has other ideas. He wants a wife, and sends his equally lascivious sister to bring Samoya to the Bacchanalian wedding feast he is preparing. Samoya embarks on a journey that will alter the course of her life. Before reaching her destination, she is to encounter Marcus, the battle-hardened centurion who will unearth the core of her desires.
Haunted
by Laura ThorntonWhen Sasha comes across an old diary belonging to the late Lady Amelia Asher, the centuries-old manuscript transforms her life drastically. From the mundane and unappealing, Sasha finds herself erotically reawakened and she begins to push the boundaries of pleasure that she has never before experienced. Influenced by the diary’s tales of sexual exploits Sasha becomes more and more like the fervent Lady Amelia, but she is unaware that the passionate and powerful author is far from gone. Amelia’s ghostly presence lingers and Sasha’s climaxes become other-worldly…
The Girl in the Shadows: My Life in a Cult
by Katy Morgan-Davies'I was the shadow child no one ever saw...'From the day she was born until she escaped aged 30, Katy Morgan-Davies knew nothing but a life in captivity. Her father was the deluded and cruel leader of a cult based in South London who brainwashed those around him.Her father's paranoia and his need to completely control others led to Katy being imprisoned indoors and denied any kind of love or friendship. From a young age, Katy's father subjected her to violence and mental abuse. She was not permitted contact with anyone outside the house and on the rare occasions she did have to go out, she was always chaperoned. Katy never gave up hope of one day breaking free from her father's cruel clutches and finally found her freedom. This is her true story of endurance and survival.
The Handless Maiden
by Vicki FeaverThe poems in this extraordinary book deal in familiar emotions - love, grief, rage, loneliness - but do so with such a fresh and fierce eye, such lived intensity, that the familiar is given again the force to touch our nerves, to seem raw and new. Some of the poems are based in the territory of home and childhood, others move into that unnerving space where the safe and polite world plunges over a ledge - into anarchic revisions of what is possible or acceptable. They treat myths and fairy stories, or even paintings, not as fictions but as part of our continuing experience. Powerful and sensuous, wry and witty, their clear voice stays in the mind: provoking, questioning, refusing to accept the soft lie. These disturbing and passionate poems demand to be read.
Hattie B, Magical Vet: The Unicorn's Horn (Hattie B, Magical Vet #2)
by Claire Taylor-SmithHattie B, Magical Vet: The Unicorn's Horn (Book 2), is the second book in a brand new magical series for girls!Discover a secret world of fairy-tale creatures!Hattie B returns to the Kingdom of Bellua where wicked King Ivar has taken the magic from a unicorn's horn!Only Hattie can make the special medicine the unicorn needs - can she find the ingredients before it's too late?Hattie B is inspired by a little girl called Harriet, who once asked 'where do unicorns and dragons go when they're unwell?' Her mum, Lindsay Taylor, and their friend, Suzanne Smith thought long and hard and suddenly realised - a magical vet of course! With this twinkle of an idea they met the writer Claire Baker and together they created the Kingdom of Bellua - and the pen name Claire Taylor-Smith.
Girl Heart Boy: You And Me Always (Girl Heart Boy)
by Ali CroninReal love. Real lives. The real thing . . . Girl Heart Boy: You and Me Always is the final book in this irresistibly romantic series that combines the romance of The OC, the realism of Skins and the sexiness of E L James' Fifty Shades of Grey. Perfect for fans of Tammara Webber's Easy, Coleen Hoover's Slammed and Abbie Glines' The Vincent Boys.Four girls, three boys, turning 18. Get set to follow their eventful final year at school . . .About the author:Ali Cronin is a British author with wide experience writing for young adults in print and online. She cut her teeth on Bliss, Sugar and J17 magazines, then became producer of the BBC's website for teens, before leaving to write full-time. Girl Heart Boy is her first book series.Immerse yourself in the stories and engage with the characters through our books, ebooks and online webisodes. Fall in love with Girl Heart Boy at facebook/GirlHeartBoyDon't miss:Girl Heart Boy: No Such Thing As Forever Girl Heart Boy: Rumour Has It Girl Heart Boy: Three's a Crowd Girl Heart Boy: Lesson's in Love Girl Heart Boy: She's The One Girl Heart Boy: You and Me Always
Handel: The Man & His Music
by Jonathan KeatesJonathan Keates original biography of Handel was hailed as a masterpiece on its publication in 1985. This fully revised and updated new edition - published to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the composers death - charts in detail Handel's life, from his youth in Germany, through his brilliantly successful Italian sojourn, to the opulence and squalor of Georgian London where he made his permanent home. For over two decades Handel was absorbed in London's heady but precarious operatic world. But even his phenomenal energy and determination could not overcome the public's growing indifference to Italian opera in the 1730s, and he turned finally to oratorio, a genre which he made peculiarly his own and in which he created some of his finest works, such as Saul, Messiah, Belshazzar and Jephtha.Over the last two decades a complete revolution in Handel's status has taken place. He is now seen both as a titanic figure in music, whose compositions have found a permanent place in the international repertoire, and as one of the world's favourite composers, with snatches of his work accompanying weddings, funerals and television commercials the world over.Skillfully interwoven with the account of Handel's life are commentaries on all his major works, as well as many less familiar pieces by this most inventive, expressive and captivating of composers. Handel was an extraordinary genius whose career abounded in reversals that would have crushed anyone with less resilience and will power, and Jonathan Keates writes about his life and work with sympathy and scrutiny.
Hattie B, Magical Vet: The Pony's Hoof (Hattie B, Magical Vet #5)
by Claire Taylor-SmithDiscover a secret world of fairytale creatures! Book 5 of Hattie B's magical adventures. Hattie B has been called to the Kingdom of Bellua - a baby Pegasus needs her help!Evil King Ivar of the Imps has hurt the little pony's hoof and stolen his magical powers. Hattie just needs one apple and some special spice to help him, but it's going to be harder than she thinks to get it - King Ivar is waiting for her . . .Hattie B is inspired by a little girl called Harriet, who once asked 'where do unicorns and dragons go when they're unwell?' Her mum, Lindsay Taylor, and their friend, Suzanne Smith thought long and hard and suddenly realised - a magical vet of course! With this twinkle of an idea they met the writer Claire Baker and together they created the Kingdom of Bellua - and the pen name Claire Taylor-Smith.
Girl Heart Boy: Three's a Crowd (Girl Heart Boy)
by Ali CroninExtra X-rated scenes exclusively available in this ebook edition! Real love. Real lives. The real thing . . . Girl Heart Boy is the irresistible new romantic series for teens, combining the romance of The OC with the realism of Skins and the sexiness of E L James' Fifty Shades of Grey - for a teen audience. Girl Heart Boy is perfect for fans of Twilight and the Hunger Games looking for their next must-have read.Four girls, three boys, turning 18. Get set to follow their eventful final year at school . . .Jack is lovesick. Ollie won't commit. Donna can't find a man. But what about Cass? Everyone thinks she has it all, but life is far from perfect. Her friends hate her boyfriend. Her best friend is in love with her. Cass is torn. How will she choose between them?Ali Cronin is a British author with wide experience writing for young adults in print and online. She cut her teeth on Bliss, Sugar and J17 magazines, then became producer of the BBC's website for teens, before leaving to write full-time. Girl Heart Boy is her first book series.Immerse yourself in the stories and engage with the characters through our books, ebooks and online webisodes. Fall in love with Girl Heart Boy at facebook/GirlHeartBoy.
A Handbook on Good Manners for Children: De Civilitate Morum Puerilium Libellus
by ErasmusWhen did you last tell your children to put their hand over their mouth when they yawn? When did you last suggest that when they are introduced to someone they should shake hands firmly and look them in the eye? Do you suggest that they should wait until everyone is served before they eat rather than hoover up the best bit for themselves? Do you demand that your young daughter dress decorously lest she elicit outraged looks? Do you think that the children of today have disgraceful manners? Unlike, of course, when you were young ... Well, that's certainly what Erasmus of Rotterdam thought in 1530 when he published De Civilitate Morum Puerilium: A Handbook on Good Manners for Children. He felt that learning good manners was crucial to a child's upbringing, and that the uncouth and ill-disciplined behaviour around him demanded a new kind of book. After all, as William of Wykeham memorably said in the 1350s, 'Manners maketh man'. A Handbook on Good Manners for Children is considered to be the first treatise in Western Europe on the moral and practical education of children. It was a massive bestseller - indeed the biggest-selling book of the sixteenth century - going into 130 editions over 300 years and being translated into 22 languages within ten years of its publication. In it, Erasmus concerns himself with matters such as how to dress, how to behave at table, how to converse with one's elders and contemporaries, how to address the opposite sex and much else. For example: Table Manners 'It's just as rude to lick greasy fingers as it is to wipe them on your clothing, Use a cloth or napkin instead.''Some people, no sooner than they've sat down, immediately stick their hands into the dishes of food. This is the manner of wolves.' 'Making a raucous noise or shrieking intentionally when you sneeze, or showing off by carrying on sneezing on purpose, is very ill-mannered.''To fidget around in your seat, and to settle first on one buttock and then the next, gives the impression that you are repeatedly farting, or trying to fart.' The advice is as relevant today as it was 500 years ago.
Hattie B, Magical Vet: The Phoenix's Flame (Hattie B, Magical Vet #6)
by Claire Taylor-SmithDiscover a secret world of fairytale creatures! Book 6 of Hattie B's magical adventures. The creatures of The Kingdom of Bellua need Hattie's help now more than ever! Evil King Ivar of the Imps has stolen the ultimate power - the immortality of a young Phoenix. With a little help from her friends, Hattie must help the Phoenix get her power back before she can face King Ivar and free the creatures of Bellua once and for all!
Girl Heart Boy: She's The One (Girl Heart Boy)
by Ali CroninReal love. Real lives. The real thing . . . Girl Heart Boy: She's The One is the fifth book in an irresistible new series that combines the romance of The OC, the realism of Skins and the sexiness of E L James' Fifty Shades of Grey. Perfect for fans of Tammara Webber's Easy, Coleen Hoover's Slammed and Abbie Glines' The Vincent Boys.Four girls, three boys, turning 18. Get set to follow their eventful final year at school . . .Cass dumped Adam.Jack got over Cass.Donna let love in.But what about Ollie?Ollie's been in love with his best friend, Sarah, since forever. She has no idea and he's scared of losing her. Is he brave enough to risk everything and finally tell her the truth?About the author:Ali Cronin is a British author with wide experience writing for young adults in print and online. She cut her teeth on Bliss, Sugar and J17 magazines, then became producer of the BBC's website for teens, before leaving to write full-time. Girl Heart Boy is her first book series.Immerse yourself in the stories and engage with the characters through our books, ebooks and online webisodes. Fall in love with Girl Heart Boy at facebook/GirlHeartBoyDon't miss:Girl Heart Boy: No Such Thing As Forever Girl Heart Boy: Rumour Has It Girl Heart Boy: Three's a Crowd Girl Heart Boy: Lesson's in Love Girl Heart Boy: She's The One Girl Heart Boy: You and Me Always
