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Henry ‘Chips’ Channon (Volume 2): 1938-43
by Chips ChannonThe second volume of the remarkable, Sunday Times bestselling diaries of Chips Channon.'A masterpiece - a time machine that transports the reader back to British politics and high society at the end of the 1930s.' Robert Harris'The uncensored, unvarnished thought of one of the 20th century's greatest diarists. - Best Biographies of the Year, Telegraph'An unrivalled guide to the social and political life of Britain in the first half of the 20th century.' Books of the Year, The Times'Fascinating.' New Statesman'Never a dull day, never a dull sentence.' Daily Mail_______________________________________________This second volume of the bestselling diaries of Henry 'Chips' Channon takes us from the heady aftermath of the Munich agreement, when the Prime Minister so admired by Chips was credited with having averted a general European conflagration, through the rapid unravelling of appeasement, and on to the tribulations of the early years of the Second World War. It closes with a moment of hope, as Channon, in recording the fall of Mussolini in July 1943, reflects: 'The war must be more than half over.'For much of this period, Channon is genuinely an eye-witness to unfolding events. He reassures Neville Chamberlain as he fights for his political life in May 1940. He chats to Winston Churchill while the two men inspect the bombed-out chamber of the House of Commons a few months later. From his desk at the Foreign Office he charts the progress of the war. But with the departure of his boss 'Rab' Butler to the Ministry of Education, and Channon's subsequent exclusion from the corridors of power, his life changes - and with it the preoccupations and tone of the diaries. The conduct of the war remains a constant theme, but more personal preoccupations come increasingly to the fore. As he throws himself back into the pleasures of society, he records his encounters with the likes of Noël Coward, Prince Philip, General de Gaulle and Oscar Wilde's erstwhile lover Lord Alfred Douglas. He describes dinners with members of European royal dynasties, and recounts gossip and scandal about the great, the good and the less good. And he charts the implosion of his marriage and his burgeoning, passionate friendship with a young officer on Wavell's staff.These are diaries that bring a whole epoch vividly to life.
The Hunt (A Victorian Mystery)
by Oscar de Muriel*Features an exclusive extract from A Fever of the Blood - the brilliant new Case for Frey & McGray, which publishes in February 2016*Christmas, 1888. After a thoroughly trying time in Edinburgh, Inspector Ian Frey looks forward to a Christmas break at his family's country estate back in England.But the welcome respite of home cooking, hunting trips and brandy by the fire is ruined by the arrival of an unwelcome guest . . .Praise for The Strings of Murder:'This is wonderful. A brilliant, moving, clever, lyrical book - I loved it.'Manda Scott'One of the best débuts of the year. Riveting, genuinely funny, occasionally frightening and superbly written.'Crime Review
Into Dust
by Jonathan LewisThe Minister for Defence is blown to smithereens in his car on a lonely road in the Brecon Beacons, where he has a weekend hideaway. DI Ned Bale is on the crime scene within seconds, but neither he nor forensics can work out how on earth the crime was committed, let alone who did it, or with what motive.That is until one fingerprint is found on one tiny fragment of the explosive timing device. The fingerprint of Ned Bale's closest ally in the Force, dog handler Kate Baker. But how on earth could her fingerprint be on a terrorist's bomb. Far away on bomb disposal duty in Afghanistan, Kate has to be questioned.But Kate herself has become involved with someone extremely plausible, attractive and dangerous. The mystery which unravels through this gripping thriller is completely unexpected.
The Henry Game
by Susan DavisImagine meeting Henry VIII and finding he's madly in love with you!One lazy summer afternoon Abigail persuades Lauren and Marina to experiment with a homemade ouija board. The girls don't seriously expect the séance to work and are shocked when the glass starts moving, but that's nothing to the shock they get when they realise they have summoned up the spirit of a long-dead randy royal - Henry VIII. The trouble really begins when Henry declares his love for the sultry Marina and starts behaving in a seriously sinister manner. Jealous and possessive, Henry sets about controlling the girls' lives and making a right royal nuisance of himself...Friendship, first love and men behaving badly - this is a fantastically funny chick-lit read.
The Hunt in the Forest
by John BurnsideTaking its title from Uccello's famous painting of a band of men - on foot and on horseback - massing for the chase, John Burnside's new poems take us on a journey out of the light and into the darkness, where we may just as easily lose ourselves as find what we are looking for. In these poems of hunting and predation, Burnside explores our most deep-rooted and primeval pursuits: romantic love, memory, selfhood, grief, the recollection of the dead. Yet just as we seek, so are we sought out: at any moment we may slide into loss or be gathered in by some otherworldly light; at any moment, the angel of the annunciation may seek us out and demand some astonishing transformation. Even in the pursuit of love, or in the exercise of memory, we fall into snares and become entangled in veils; just as we are always on the point of discovery, so we are always a hair's-breadth away from being lost. Concerned with love and mourning, with what we discover and what remains hidden - with learning how to follow the trail through the forest and find the way home - above all, these poems are about the quest: knowing that whatever we bring back from the hunt, it is always hard-won and never fully our own.With this extraordinary collection of fleet and deftly beautiful poems, John Burnside confirms his place at the forefront of writing, as one of a handful of truly important British poets working today.
Into The Frame: The Four Loves of Ford Madox Brown
by Angela ThirlwellMadox Brown, who grew up in France and Belgium before he came to England and won fame with paintings like 'The Last of England', was always an outsider, and the women he loved also burst out of stereotypes. His two wives, Elisabeth Bromley and Emma Hill, and his secret passions, the artist Marie Spartali and the author Mathilde Blind, were all remarkable personalities, from very different backgrounds.Their striving for self-expression, in an age that sought to suppress them, tells us much more about women's journey towards modern roles. Their lives - full of passion, sexual longing, tragedy and determination - take us from the English countryside and the artist's studio to a Europe in turmoil and revolution. These are not silent muses hidden in the shadow of a 'Master'. They step out of the shadows and into the picture, speaking with voices we can hear and understand.
Henry I: The Father of His People (Penguin Monarchs)
by Edmund King'To be a medieval king was a job of work ... This was a man who knew how to run a complex organization. He was England's CEO'The youngest of William the Conqueror's sons, Henry I came to unchallenged power only after two of his brothers died in strange hunting accidents and he had imprisoned the other. He was destined to become one of the greatest of all medieval monarchs, both through his own ruthlessness, and through his dynastic legacy. Edmund King's engrossing portrait shows a strikingly charismatic, intelligent and fortunate man, whose rule was looked back on as the real post-conquest founding of England as a new realm: wealthy, stable, bureaucratised and self-confident.
The Hunter And The Whale
by Sir Laurens Van Der PostThis is the story of a South African boy, Peter, who grows to manhood through a hard course of physical and emotional experiences.The scene, a heroic one, is set both on sea and on land. Peter is exposed to the conflicts set up by other characters, chief amongst whom are a dedicated and fanatical whaling captain, a Zulu stoker, a famous white hunter and his daughter. He learns how men can become obsessed by greed and the will to power; and he witnesses the struggle of natural man to come to terms with the demands of contemporary life.Peter's developing relationship with captain and crew; the fury and beauty of the chase; the fanaticism of the two great hunters - these are the leading motifs in Laurens van der Post's stirring narrative. His remarkable knowledge of whaling, and the force of his imagination sounding deeper then leviathan himself, carry the reader irresistibly forwards.
Into Iraq
by Michael PalinIn March 2022, Michael Palin travelled the length of the River Tigris through Iraq to get a sense of what life is like in a region of the world that once formed the cradle of civilisation, but that in recent times has witnessed turmoil and appalling bloodshed. In the journal he kept during his trip he describes the war-ravaged city of Mosul and the children he encounters growing up amid its ruins. He contemplates the graffiti-strewn ruins of Saddam Hussein's former palaces, and he notes the constant presence of armed guards. But there are patches of light amid the dark: boisterous New Year celebrations in Akre, the friendliness of generals and colonels at 'Checkpoint Cheerful', and public poetry readings in Baghdad. People getting on with their lives.At the same time, Michael charts the course of one of the great rivers of the world, showing how the water that gave life to such ancient settlements as Babylon and Ur is now becoming a scarce and hotly contested resource. And he considers the role that Iraq's other great natural resource - oil - plays in both providing wealth and threatening political stability.Illustrated throughout with colour photographs taken on the trip, and permeated with his warmth and humour, this is a vivid and varied portrait of a complex country.
Hunters & Collectors
by M. SuddainJohn Tamberlain is The Tomahawk, the universe’s most feared food critic – though he himself prefers the term ‘forensic gastronomer’. He’s on a quest, in search of the much-storied Hotel Grand Skies, a secretive and exclusive haven where the rich and famous retreat to bask in perfect seclusion. A place where the waiters know their fish knife from their butter knife, their carotid from their subclavian artery, and are trained to enforce the house rules with brutal efficiency. Blurring the lines between detective story, horror and sci-fi, Hunters & Collectors is a mesmeric trip into the singular imagination of M. Suddain – a freewheeling talent whose poise, invention and sensational sentences have already earned him comparisons to Vonnegut, Pynchon and Douglas Adams.
Into the Fire: My Life as a London Firefighter
by Edric Kennedy-Macfoy___________________'Deeply personal and blisteringly powerful.’ Tom Marcus, author of SOLDIER SPYThe incredible true story of life as a London firefighter. What is it really like to be a firefighter? How does it feel to respond to an emergency call, to know that someone's life hangs in the balance and every second is critical?Into the Fire offers an unforgettable insight into the highs and lows of life in the fire service. Chronicling his thirteen-year career in the London Fire Brigade, Edric Kennedy-Macfoy takes us with him from his training days as a new recruit to his very first fire; from call-outs to cannabis farms, chemical spills and trapped swans to the devastating scenes of road traffic collisions, the Croydon tram derailment and the Grenfell Tower fire.Heart-breaking, deeply personal and at times hilarious, this is his remarkable story.
Henry II: A Prince Among Princes (Penguin Monarchs)
by Richard BarberHenry II (1154-89) through a series of astonishing dynastic coups became the ruler of an enormous European empire. One of the most dynamic, restless and clever men ever to rule England, he was brought down both by his catastrophic relationship with his archbishop Thomas Becket and his debilitating arguments with his sons, most importantly the future Richard I and King John. His empire may have ultimately collapsed, but in Richard Barber's vivid and sympathetic account the reader can see why Henry II left such a compelling impression on his contemporaries.
Into the Light: A Complete History of Sunderland Football Club
by Roger HutchinsonInto the Light reveals the full thrilling story of Sunderland Football Club - charting the club's progress from being the first great team to dominate the Football League, to the squad which returned to the top of English soccer at the dawn of the new millennium. Hutchinson traces a journey from Newcastle Road to the Stadium of Light by way of Roker Park. The early days of the Team Of All The Talents - the side in red-and-white stripes which took the English League by storm, breaking records and their opponents' hearts year after brilliant year - are brought vividly to life for the first time. Great goalscorers like Johnny Campbell and Jimmy Gillespie and sensational goalkeepers such as the legendary Ned Doig stride out of the pages of Into The Light; and the figures whose brilliance made Roker roar - from Len Shackleton and Brian Clough to the modern greats - are vividly portrayed. League successes came easily and early to Sunderland. Into The Light explores the club's devotion to winning trophies with style. The long - and finally triumphant - quest for FA cup victories is followed game by game. The heartbreaks and disappointments are also here in this see-saw ride through 120 years of English football, which ends as it began - right at the very top. This is the history of a football club and more - it is the tale of British soccer.
Henry III: A Simple and God-Fearing King (Penguin Monarchs)
by Stephen ChurchHenry III was a medieval king whose long reign continues to have a profound impact on us today. He was on the throne for 56 years and during this time England was transformed from being the private play-thing of a French speaking dynasty into a medieval state in which the king answered for his actions to an English parliament, which emerged during Henry's lifetime. Despite Henry's central importance for the birth of parliament and the development of a state recognisably modern in many of its institutions, it is Henry's most vociferous opponent, Simon de Montfort, who is in many ways more famous than the monarch himself. Henry is principally known today as the driving force behind the building of Westminster Abbey, but he deserves to be better understood for many reasons - as Stephen Church's sparkling account makes clear.Part of the Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England's rulers in a highly collectible format
Hunter's Heart
by Julia GreenA rites of passage story about a 14-year-old boy growing up over one summer. Simon is beginning to sort out relationships with women, and when 16-year-old Leah decides to manipulate him for her own amusement, a powerful and dangerous mix begins to simmer. Set against a wild Cornish landscape and the evidence of a harsh and violent past, this is the story of a young man growing upand the girl who ultimately betrays him.
Into the Red: Liverpool FC and the Changing Face of English Football
by John WilliamsAfter a decade in football wilderness, weighed down by the legacy of unmatched domestic and European successes in the 1970s and ’80s, Liverpool Football Club – under new French coach Gérard Houllier and forward-looking chief executive, Rick Parry – face up to the huge challenge of building a new team and a successful modern club at Anfield fit for the twenty-first century.But change is never easy and a rough ride lies ahead. Hard-headed and controversial, Houllier and his policies are proving contentious: changing the dressing-room culture which has been central to the club’s earlier successes and his policy of player rotation, to name just two. So how does this new coaching guru, with a strong personal attachment to both the city and the club, see the future of the game and Liverpool’s place in it? And do the fans of the club – its lifeblood – share Houllier’s vision of a borderless international football squad and a more pragmatic, less flamboyant approach to playing the modern game?Into the Red charts the place of football in the city of Liverpool, along with some of the reasons for the club’s dramatic fall from grace. It also reports on the extraordinary ‘revival’ season for Liverpool FC in 2000–01 as the club battled, uniquely, in Europe and at home for honours across four different fronts, and on season 2001–02, a dramatic one for Houllier in particular. It includes comment from some of the key protagonists at Anfield as Liverpool FC begins to build, on and off the pitch, an exciting new footballing era for the club, dragging it into the new millennium and ultimately challenging the great football epochs of the team’s history under legends such as Shankly, Paisley and Fagan.
Hunting People: Thirty Years of Interviews with the Famous
by Hunter DaviesHunter Davies's first major interview was with John Masefield for The Sunday Times in 1963. In the years since, he has interviewed many of the most famous people that the late twentieth century has to offer, from James Baldwin and Orson Welles to Jack Nicholson and Salman Rushdie. in an eclectic and highly readable selection, we learn that Noel Coward enjoyed watching operations and considered himself 'about as decadent as a suet pudding', David Hockney dyed his hair because 'blonds have more fun', and Anthony Burgess had yet to touch the body of an Englishwoman. Christy Brown concedes 'I'm just a run-of-the-mill genius', while Alan Sugar admits 'I'm a miserable sod'. The book opens with a specially written introduction in which Hunter Davies explores the art of the Celebrity Interview, and turns the tables to interview fellow practitioners, such as Lynn Barber and Angela Lambert.
Henry IV Part One
by William Shakespeare'The finest, most representative instance of what Shakespeare can do' Harold BloomPrince Hal, the son of King Henry IV, spends his time in idle pleasure with dissolute friends, among them the roguish Sir John Falstaff. But when the kingdom is threatened by rebellious forces, the prince must abandon his feckless ways. Ranging from taverns and brothels to the royal court and the battlefield, Shakespeare's masterful drama shows a prodigal son rising to meet his destiny as a ruler of men.Used and Recommended by the National TheatreGeneral Editor Stanley WellsEdited by Peter Davison Introduction by Charles Edelman
The Hunting Season
by Dean Vincent CarterEight years ago, the Austrian emergency services were called to the scene of a bizarre car accident.Eight years ago two mangled bodies were found in the snow not far from the vehicle, clawed and chewed, it seemed, by some ferocious animal. Eight years ago something unspeakable took Gerontius Moore's parents from him, leaving him orphaned and alone... And now, that something, is back.Caught up in a hunt he was never meant to be a part of, and finding help from a most unlikely source, Gerontius must once more flee the clutches of an appalling beast, before it learns its business is unfinished.Full moon or not, the hunt is on.
Into the Spotlight
by Carrie Hope FletcherInspired by the much-loved classic Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild, Into the Spotlight is a magical new story from bestselling author and acclaimed performer Carrie Hope Fletcher.Brilliant Aunt Maude visits seasides the world over and has become quite the pebble collector. Pebbles of all shapes, sizes and colours and even one that looked a bit like Elvis Presley if you squinted a bit.Her favourite pebbles, however, are Marigold, Mabel and Morris. One by one, and by strange and unusual ways, each child arrives at the stage door of Brilliant Aunt Maude's theatre in the heart of London, home to an extraordinary cast of performers. There's Dante the miraculous magician, Petunia the storyteller and seventy-year-old contortionists - the Fortune Sisters! But ticket sales are dwindling and the curtains might have to close - for the final time.Until one day, as the Pebbles are exploring the many nooks and crannies of the theatre, they stumble upon something they were never meant to find . . . something that just might save the theatre after all . . .
Henry IV Part Two
by William Shakespeare'This, of the history plays, is The Tragedy ... the most lyrical Shakespeare ever wrote' Simon SchamaThe old king Henry IV, sick and weary, must send out his forces - including the unruly Falstaff - to meet another rebellion that threatens to bring the country to the brink of civil war. But as the conflict grows, he must also confront a more personal problem - how to make his troublesome son Prince Hal accept his duty as heir and leave his carousing companions behind. Pitting youth against old age, son against father, carefree hope against the realities of ruling, this is an elegiac drama of pathos and regret.Used and Recommended by the National TheatreGeneral Editor Stanley WellsEdited by Peter Davison Introduction by Adrian Poole
Hunting the Dark
by Karen MahoneyMoth's adventures in the dark and twisted underworld of modern-day Boston continue in this thrilling sequel to Falling to Ash.Once bitten . . . never shyAdjusting to life as a vampire hasn’t been easy for Moth. Torn between her family and her maker Theo, Moth spends her time running from one deadly situation to the next. That’s not her only problem. There’s a killer on the loose and no vampire is safe. Even worse, the prime suspect is Jace Murdoch, Moth’s friend and one-time crush.He is in serious danger. Moth needs to hunt down the killer before Jace is destroyed. Time is running out and the darkness is closing in . . .
Into the Uncanny
by Danny Robins'A contemporary Van Helsing...' Sunday Times'King of true-life scary tales' Observer'A wonderfully entertaining ride through the haunted landscape which Danny has made his own.' Mark Gatiss, co-creator of Sherlock'Terrifying, fascinating, often hilarious... the best ghost investigation I've ever read' Dan Schreiber, author of The Theory of Everything Else'Scarily good' Danny Wallace, author of Yes Man'A brilliant book, engaging and filmic - it made me frightened in the daytime' Reece Shearsmith, co-creator of Inside No. 9I know what I saw...'The ghosts of today don't live in castles or stately homes, they're in normal houses and workplaces, witnessed by ordinary people like you and me. Now we just need to figure out what the hell they are - the dead returning from the "undiscovered country" of death? Or the product of that equally mysterious location, the human mind?'Danny Robins is a sceptic who wants to believe. His award-winning podcasts, Uncanny, The Battersea Poltergeist and The Witch Farm, and his smash-hit West End play 2:22 - A Ghost Story have made him "the UK's go-to-ghost guy", and he's on a mission to try to solve this greatest of all mysteries - is the impossible possible?Into the Uncanny is the story of ordinary people who have experienced extraordinary things and want to make sense of them. Each one is a brand-new case never shared before; modern day, real-life ghost stories that will make your blood run cold. It is also a journey of self-discovery, as Danny explores what the paranormal means to us and the exciting and terrifying prospect that we are not alone.From poltergeists and apparitions, to UFOs and messages from beyond the grave, Into The Uncanny is a thrilling, adrenaline-filled supernatural adventure. Whether you're Team Believer or Team Sceptic, all you need is an open mind and a bit of courage. So, are you ready to investigate?
Hunting the Eagles (Eagles of Rome #2)
by Ben KaneFrom 'the rising star of historical fiction' (Wilbur Smith) a new Eagles of Rome novel, by the Sunday Times bestselling author of Eagles at War.JUSTICE , HONOUR, REVENGE AD 14: Five long years have passed since the annihilation of three legions in the wilds of Germania. Demoted, battle-scarred and hell-bent on revenge, Centurion Tullus and his legionaries begin their fightback. Ranged against them is the charismatic chieftan Arminius, determined to crush the Romans for a second time. Convinced that the eagle belonging to his old legion is close at hand, Tullus drives ever deeper into enemy lands. But with Arminius and his warriors closing in on the Romans, a murderous battle is about to begin…
The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle: Shortlisted for the Polari Book Prize for LGBTQ+ Fiction
by Neil Blackmore__________________________'Seductive, decadent, cruel and utterly thrilling - just like Horace Lavelle himself. This is The Talented Mr Ripley for the twenty-first century.' Emma Flint, author of Little Deaths'An enjoyable dip into decadence.' Observer__________________________Brothers Benjamin and Edgar have so far led a quiet life, but change is afoot as they enter a world of glorious sights and People of Quality on their Grand Tour of Europe. But a trunk full of powdered silver wigs and matching suits isn't enough to embed them into high society.As Edgar clings on to conventions, Benjamin pushes against them. And when the charming, seductive Horace Lavelle promises Benjamin a real adventure, it's only a matter of time before chaos and love ensue.__________________________'A fizzing, seductive queer romance.' i Paper'Wildly entertaining and painfully heartbreaking ... Neil Blackmore writes with a fizzy wit that bounds his characters off the page.' Ben Aldridge