The Emperor’s Exile
Simon Scarrow
From the Sunday Times bestseller, a thrilling new adventure in Simon Scarrow’s acclaimed Eagles of the Empire series.
Battle-scarred veterans Tribune Cato and Centurion Macro have faced the Empire’s enemies from Britannia to Parthia, from Hispania to Judea. Now, once again, they are on a mission that will imperil their lives and those who serve with them as Cato is forced to escort Emperor Nero’s exiled mistress to Sardinia where he faces peril on three fronts: a fractured command, a deadly plague spreading across the province...and a violent insurgency threatening to tip the province into blood-stained chaos.
Six Tudor Queens
Alison Weir
Acclaimed, bestselling historian Alison Weir draws on extensive research to recount one of the most tragic tales in English history - that of a lively, sweet but neglected girl, used by powerful men for their own gain.
At just nineteen, Katheryn Howard is quick to trust and fall in love. She comes to court. She sings, she dances. She captures the heart of the King. Henry declares she is his rose without a thorn. But Katheryn has a past of which he knows nothing. It comes back increasingly to haunt her. For those who share her secrets are waiting in the shadows, whispering words of love... and blackmail.
The Secret Life of the Savoy and the D’Oyly Carte Family
Olivia Williams
In three generations, the D'Oyly Carte family pioneered the luxury hotel and the modern theatre, propelled Gilbert and Sullivan to lasting stardom, made Oscar Wilde a transatlantic celebrity, inspired a P. G. Wodehouse series, and popularised early jazz, electric lights and Art Deco. Following the history of the iconic Savoy Hotel through three generations of the D'Oyly Carte family, The Secret Life of the Savoy revives an extraordinary cultural legacy.
A Tomb With a View: The Stories and Glories of Graveyards
Peter Ross
Enter a grave new world of fascination and delight as award-winning writer Peter Ross uncovers the stories and glories of graveyards. Who are London's outcast dead and why is David Bowie their guardian angel? Why is a Bristol cemetery the perfect wedding venue for goths?
All of these sorrowful mysteries - and many more - are answered in A Tomb With A View, a book for anyone who has ever wandered through a field of crooked headstones and wondered about the lives and deaths of those who lie beneath.
Blitz Spirit
Becky Brown
'What extraordinary voices of Britain living through crisis! A brilliant testament to resilience' – Anne Glenconner
Throughout the Second World War hundreds of people kept diaries of their private daily lives as part of a groundbreaking national experiment, from warehousemen and WRENs, to housewives and journalists. These voices tell the human story behind the iconic events of those six years, of the individuals grappling with a world turned upside down. From panic-buying and competitively digging for victory to extraordinary acts of bravery, Blitz Spirit is a remarkable collection of real wartime experiences that represent the best and worst of human nature in the face of adversity.
The Prime Ministers: 55 Leaders, 55 Authors, 300 Years of History
Iain Dale
It has almost been 300 years since Sir Robert Walpole arguably became the first holder of the office of Prime Minister in 1721 - an office which today is under scrutiny like never before. The Prime Ministers, edited by leading political commentator Iain Dale, brings to life all 55 of Britain's ‘First Among Equals’ with an essay for each office holder, written by key figures in British politics. From the obscure 18th-century figures like the Earl of Shelburne to 20th-century titans like Churchill and Thatcher, this book provides a much-needed reminder about their motivations, failures and achievements.
The Lost Homestead: My Mother, Partition and the Punjab
Maria Wheeler
Through her mother's memories, accounts from her Indian family and her own research in both India and Pakistan, constitutional and human rights lawyer, Marina Wheeler, explores how the peoples of these new nations struggled to recover and rebuild their lives when they were forced to flee their home in Punjab, never to return. The Lost Homestead touches on global themes that strongly resonate today: political change, religious extremism, migration, minorities, nationhood, identity and belonging. But above all it is about coming to terms with the past, and about the stories we choose to tell about ourselves.
The Windsor Diaries: A Childhood with the Princesses
Alathea Fitzalan Howard
'Funny, astute, poignant and historically fascinating' – The Times
Discover the never-before-seen diaries of Alathea Fitzalan Howard, who lived alongside the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret at Windsor Castle during the Second World War. These unique diaries give us a bird's eye view of Royal wartime life with all of Alathea's honest, yet affectionate judgments and observations - as well as a candid and vivid portrait of the young Princess Elizabeth, known to Alathea as ‘Lilibet’, a warm, self-contained girl, already falling for her handsome prince Philip, and facing her ultimate destiny: the Crown.
SAS Band of Brothers
Damien Lewis
'Riveting. Extraordinary. A real-life thriller' – Dan Snow
Breathtaking and exhaustively researched, SAS Band of Brothers is based upon a raft of new and unseen material provided by the families of those who were there. It reveals an epic of courage, maverick-spirted daring and bloody betrayal as a group of elite soldier trailblazers commit daring raids behind enemy lines in 1944, plus the gripping quest for vengeance and justice that lasted through to 1948 and beyond.
Aston Martin: Made in Britain
Ben Collins
'This pacy history of a legendary brand is a love letter to an era of gears and gasoline now accelerating towards its twilight' – Financial Times
From bestselling author, racer and stunt driver Ben Collins – the man who was The Stig – comes a story of spies, speed and hard-driving genius: a driver's love letter to one of the world's best-loved machines. Ultimately, this is a very British success story: of a triumph of engineering that has burned brightly from the Roaring 20s to the 2020s, and an iconic car that never says die.
The Last 100 Years (give or take) and All That
Al Murray
In this fascinating and hilarious gallop through twentieth-century British history, comedian Al Murray, the alter-ego of everyone’s favourite Pub Landlord, shines a light on the 20th century like never before. From the Big Bang of the 20th Century, DOUBLEYOUDOUBLEYOU ONE, to the eve of the new Millennium (when all the computers in the World DIDN'T stop working and the Queen had to do the Hokey Cokey with Tony Blair) and all the forgotten tales in between, this is a brilliantly funny, irreverent and eye-opening whistle-stop tour of Britain since 1914.
The Great British Royal Family Quiz Book
Daniel Smith
Put your loyalty and knowledge to the test with this charming miscellany that celebrates kings and queens from 1066 to the present day. A treasure trove of quirky facts and fascinating trivia, readers will discover hours of fun with this selection of achievable quizzes. Answers are included at the back of the book.
The Secret Life of Dorothy Soames: A Foundling’s Story
Justine Cowan
A gripping memoir and revelatory investigation into the history of the Foundling Hospital and one girl who grew up in its care - the author's own mother. Heartbreaking, surprising, and unforgettable, The Secret Life of Dorothy Soames is the true story of one woman’s quest to understand the secrets that had poisoned her mother’s mind, and her startling discovery that her family’s fate had been sealed centuries before.
Gladius
Guy de la Bédoyère
'Gladius makes for a richly researched, detailed and plausible portrait, warts and all, bang up to date with the latest archaeological finds, and a highly enjoyable read throughout' – Sunday Times
Gladius takes readers right into the heart of what it meant to be a part of the Roman army through the words of Roman historians, and those of the men themselves through their religious dedications, tombstones, and even private letters and graffiti.
Liberation
Imogen Kealey
To the Allies she was a fearless freedom fighter, special operations super spy, a woman ahead of her time. To the Gestapo she was a ghost, a shadow, the most wanted person in the world with a five-million-Franc bounty on her head. The must-read thriller inspired by the true story of Nancy Wake, whose husband was kidnapped by the Nazis and became the most decorated servicewoman of the Second World War - soon to be a major blockbuster film.
The Coming of the Wolf
Elizabeth Chadwick
'Picking up an Elizabeth Chadwick novel you know you are in for a sumptuous ride' – Daily Telegraph
When Ashdyke Manor is attacked, Lady Christen is forced to witness her husband's murder and the pillaging of her lands at the hands of brutal Norman invaders. It seems the pain is finally over when Miles Le Gallois, Lord of Milnham-on-Wye, calls off the attack. But he has Christen's brother under armed guard and a deal to offer: her brother's freedom for her hand in marriage.
Miles and Christen's precarious union invites enemies from all sides and when Miles is summoned for a lengthy campaign by the King, Christen is left to watch his lands. In the midst of war, two enemies must somehow learn to trust one another if they are to survive...