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Small Pleasures: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction
By Clare Chambers. 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021'A WORD-OF-MOUTH HIT' Evening Standard 'A very fine book... It's witty and sharp…
and reads like something by Barbara Pym or Anita Brookner, without ever feeling like a pastiche'David Nicholls'Perfect'India Knight 'Beautiful' Jessie Burton'Wonderful'Richard Osman 'Miraculous'Tracy Chevalier 'A wonderful novel. I loved it'Nina Stibbe 'Effortless to read, but every sentence lingers in the mind' Lissa Evans 'This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I honestly don't want you to be without it'Lucy Mangan'Gorgeous... If you're looking for something escapist and bittersweet, I could not recommend more' Pandora Sykes'Remarkable... Small Pleasures is no small pleasure'The Times'An irresistible novel - wry, perceptive and quietly devastating'Mail on Sunday'Chambers' eye for undemonstrative details achieves a Larkin-esque lucidity' Guardian'An almost flawlessly written tale of genuine, grown-up romantic anguish' The Sunday Times 1957, the suburbs of South East London. Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment from which there is no likelihood of escape. When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. As the investigation turns her quiet life inside out, Jean is suddenly given an unexpected chance at friendship, love and - possibly - happiness. But there will, inevitably, be a price to pay.Book of the Year for: The Times, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Daily Express, Metro, Spectator, Red Magazine and Good HousekeepingEagles Cry Blood
By Donald E. Zlotnik. 1986
While too many soldiers are fighting for the brass in the midst of the bloody Vietnam battles, Lt. Paul Bourne…
is compelled to fight the enemy for his country&’s freedom. But when he comes up against his captain--a man driven by selfishness and a desire for recognition and glory, Bourne is even more determined to destroy the enemy--even if this means sacrificing his life.Farewell to The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
By Deborah Rodriguez. 2023
THE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL TO THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP OF KABUL, THE BESTSELLER THAT CAPTURED THE HEARTS OF MILLIONS WORLDWIDE Kabul,…
August 2021 Sunny Tedder is back in her beloved coffee shop. After eight years away, she's thrilled to reunite with her Kabul 'family': Yazmina now runs a pair of women's shelters from the old cafe, and dreams of a bright future for her two young daughters. Her sister Layla has become an outspoken women's rights activist and, thanks to social media, is quite the celebrity. Kat, Sunny's friend from America, is wrapping up her year-long stay in the land of her birth, but is facing some unfinished business. And finally there's elderly den mother Halajan, whose secret new hobby is itself an act of rebellion. Then the US troops begin to withdraw - and the women watch in horror as the Taliban advance on the capital at ferocious speed...Set against the terrifying fall of Kabul in 2021, Deborah Rodriguez concludes her bestselling Little Coffee Shop trilogy with a heart-stopping story of resilience, courage and, most importantly, hope.Praise for Deborah Rodriguez'Eye-opening and uplifting' - Grazia 'Restores belief in humanity' - Daily Telegraph 'Heart-warming' - Cosmopolitan'Beguiling' - Woman 'Captivating and addictive' - Take a Break'Full of heart and intelligence' - Look MagazineApricots: A War Novel
By John E. Holloway. 2019
Apricots is a novel that tells the story of Marines in combat?the comradery, humor, and sacrifice of the men on…
the ground thousands of miles from home. We generally experience overseas military operations in real time through the media of newspaper and television news accounts. These reports are generally superficial sketches of the action and rarely reveal the depth of the drama unfolding on the ground. This novel tells the story of Marines in combat?the comradery, humor, and sacrifice of the men on the ground thousands of miles from home. You go with the Marines out on the ship, ashore for the invasion of Grenada (the last combat of the Cold War), and then on to Beirut where the Marines fight Muslim militia (the first combat of the War on Terror). Throughout, newspaper excerpts track events that provide the setting of this fictional story. But this fictional story is framed by real events, including true accounts of the terrorist attack on the marine headquarters in Beirut and the coup in Grenada that triggered the invasion. In all, this story shows the reader what it was like to be there.Lord of the Sea Castle: The Invader Series (The Invader Series #2)
By Edward Ruadh Butler. 2017
It is 1170 – a tumultuous time for the people of Wales, England and Ireland. Raymond de Carew is in love,…
but the woman he desires is an earl's daughter and so far above his station that he has no hope of ever winning her.However, Raymond’s lord has a mission for him: one that if it succeeds will put an Irish king back on his throne and prove Raymond worthy – for in Norman society, a man can rise as high as his skill with a sword can take him.With only a hundred men at his side, Raymond must cross the ocean to Ireland ahead of his mercenary lord's invasion. There he will face the full might of the Viking city of Waterford... and either his deeds will become legend or he will be trampled into dust.Last Flag Flying: A Novel
By Darryl Ponicsán. 2017
Now a major movie starring Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne, directed by Richard Linklater!Darryl Ponicsan's debut novel The…
Last Detail was named one of the best of the year and widely acclaimed, catapulting him to fame when it was first published. The story of two career sailors assigned to escort a young seaman from Norfolk to the naval prison in Portsmouth, New Hampshire—and of the mayhem that ensues—was made into an award-winning movie starring Jack Nicholson. Last Flag Flying, set thirty-four years after the events of The Last Detail, brings together the same beloved characters—Billy Bad-Ass Buddusky, Mule Mulhall, and Meadows—to reprise the same journey but under very different circumstances. Now middle-aged, Meadows seeks out his former captors in their civilian lives to help him bury his son, a Marine killed in Iraq, in Arlington National Cemetery. When he learns that the authorities have told him a lie about the circumstances of his son's death, he decides, with the help of the two others, to transport him home to Portsmouth. And so begins the journey, centered around a solemn mission but, as in the first book, a protest against injustice and celebration of life too, at once irreverent, funny, profane, and deeply moving.Last Flag Flying is now a major movie from Amazon Studios, directed by Richard Linklater and starring Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, and Laurence Fishburne.The Honour of Rome (Eagles of the Empire #106)
By Simon Scarrow. 2021
A stunning novel of courage, camaraderie and deadly enemies from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Centurion and The Emperor's…
Exile.AD 59. BRITANNIA. TENSION IS SIMMERING. DANGER LIES ROUND EVERY CORNER FOR ROME'S BRAVE SOLDIERS ...Fifteen years after Rome's invasion of Britannia, centurion Marco is back. The island is settled now, bustling with commerce. Macro's goal is to help run his mother's Londinium inn, and exploit his land grant. He's prepared for the dismal weather and the barbaric ways of the people. But far worse dangers threaten all his plans. A gang led by an ex-legionary rules the city, demanding protection money and terrorising those who won't pay up. The Roman official in charge has turned a blind eye. Macro has to act. He needs the back-up of the finest soldier he knows: Prefect Cato. But Cato is in distant Rome. Or is he? As the streets run red with blood, the army's heroes face an enemy as merciless and cunning as any barbarian tribe. The honour of Rome is in their hands ...For readers of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Ben Kane - unputdownable fiction from an author who knows the Roman world like no other. IF YOU DON'T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON'T KNOW ROMEPraise for the Eagles of the Empire novels: 'Scarrow's novels rank with the best' Independent'Blood, gore, political intrigue' Daily Sport'Always a joy' The Times(P) 2021 Headline Publishing Group LimitedThe Honour of Rome (Eagles of the Empire #106)
By Simon Scarrow. 2021
AD 59. BRITANNIA. DANGER LIES ROUND EVERY CORNER FOR ROME'S BRAVE SOLDIERSThe stunning 20th book in the epic bestselling Eagles…
of the Empire seriesA.D. 59. Fifteen years after he fought Britannia's barbarians during the Roman invasion, Centurion Macro is back. The province is tense. There is restlessness amongst the tribes that have supposedly accepted Roman rule, while the atmosphere in Londinium is menacing. Newly discharged from the army, Macro is missing the camaraderie and drama of battle. But soon he will need all his courage and skills to survive. Gangs of thugs run the city. When Macro resists, a brutal attack serves as punishment and warning. But the mobsters have made a deadly error. Britannia's veterans stand with their own. And Macro will soon have a powerful ally: Prefect Cato. Friends who have battled across the Empire together, Macro and Cato make a formidable team. They will fight to the death to protect the honour of Rome.For readers of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden - unputdownable fiction from an author who knows the Roman world like no other.IF YOU DON'T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON'T KNOW ROMEPraise for the Eagles of the Empire novels: 'Scarrow's novels rank with the best' Independent'Blood, gore, political intrigue' Daily Sport'Always a joy' The TimesThe Light in Hidden Places
By Sharon Cameron. 2020
One knock at the door, and Stefania has a choice to make...It is 1943, and for four years, sixteen-year-old Stefania…
has been working for the Diamant family in their grocery store in Przemsyl, Poland, singing her way into their lives and hearts. She has even made a promise to one of their sons, Izio -- a betrothal they must keep secret since she is Catholic and the Diamants are Jewish. But everything changes when the German army invades Przemsyl. The Diamants are forced into the ghetto, and Stefania is alone in an occupied city, the only one left to care for Helena, her six-year-old sister. And then comes the knock at the door. Izio's brother Max has jumped from the train headed to a death camp. Stefania and Helena make the extraordinary decision to hide Max, and eventually twelve more Jews. Then they must wait, every day, for the next knock at the door, the one that will mean death. When the knock finally comes, it is two Nazi officers, requisitioning Stefania's house for the German army. With two Nazis below, thirteen hidden Jews above, and a little sister by her side, Stefania has one more excruciating choice to make.No Space for Further Burials: A Novel
By Feryal Ali Gauhar. 2010
"In No Space for Further Burials, Feryal Ali Gauhar has crafted a novel of unrelenting truth held in transcendent prose…
and an exquisite grace. There is no easy redemption here, but there is light and more light."-Chris Abani, author of GraceLand and Song for Night"In writing through the eyes of an American captive in Afghanistan, Feryal Ali Gauhar has fashioned a fascinating two-way mirror in which we see the author creating an Other confronting Otherness. As in Richard Powers' hostage novel Ploughing in the Dark, the mask of character reveals as much as it conceals."-Stewart O'Nan, author of Songs for the Missing"An unbearably beautiful book, one you will not soon forget. . . . What Gauhar shows us is that in a war there are only those who die and those who survive, and sometimes even those lines get blurred. And that's what keeps you hungrily turning the pages."-Radhika Jha, author of SmellSet in Afghanistan in late 2002, No Space for Further Burials is a chilling indictment of the madness of war and our collective complicity in the perpetuation of violence. The novel's narrator, a US Army medical technician in Afghanistan helping to "liberate" the country from the Taliban, has been captured by rebels and thrown into an asylum. The other inmates are a besieged gathering of society's forgotten and unwanted refugees and derelicts, disabled and different, resilient and maddened, struggling to survive the lunacy raging outside the asylum compound. The novel becomes a powerful evocation of the country's desolate history of plunder and war, waged by insiders and outsiders, all fueled by ideology, desperation, and greed.This astonishingly powerful story unfolds the tragedy of Afghanistan, as told by the captive narrator in hauntingly beautiful prose. While the characters try to cope with their individual destinies, the terrible madness of war is counterpointed with the poignancy of their lives and the narrator's own peculiar predicament-the "victor" now a victim, his ambivalence a metaphor for everything Afghanistan symbolizes.Feryal Ali Gauhar studied political economy at McGill University in Montreal, and has worked as a filmmaker and broadcaster in Europe and the United States. She has been imprisoned by two military regimes in Pakistan for her pro-democracy activism. In 1999 she was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund. She lives in Lahore, Pakistan, with fourteen cats, three dogs, a turtle, and four donkeys.The Honour of Rome
By Simon Scarrow. 2021
AD 59. BRITANNIA. DANGER LIES ROUND EVERY CORNER FOR ROME'S BRAVE SOLDIERSThe stunning 20th book in the epic bestselling Eagles…
of the Empire seriesA.D. 59. Fifteen years after he fought Britannia's barbarians during the Roman invasion, Centurion Macro is back. The province is tense. There is restlessness amongst the tribes that have supposedly accepted Roman rule, while the atmosphere in Londinium is menacing. Newly discharged from the army, Macro is missing the camaraderie and drama of battle. But soon he will need all his courage and skills to survive. Gangs of thugs run the city. When Macro resists, a brutal attack serves as punishment and warning. But the mobsters have made a deadly error. Britannia's veterans stand with their own. And Macro will soon have a powerful ally: Prefect Cato. Friends who have battled across the Empire together, Macro and Cato make a formidable team. They will fight to the death to protect the honour of Rome.For readers of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden - unputdownable fiction from an author who knows the Roman world like no other.IF YOU DON'T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON'T KNOW ROMEPraise for the Eagles of the Empire novels: 'Scarrow's novels rank with the best' Independent'Blood, gore, political intrigue' Daily Sport'Always a joy' The TimesA River in May
By Edward Wilson. 2002
A magnificent debut novel, which follows in the spirit of Conrad's Heart of Darkness, in which an alienated student named…
Lopez joins the Vietnam war to escape from his past and himself. Forced out of self-pity by the brutality and injustice surrounding him, Lopez begins to shed his layers of acquired culture, identifying instead with the Vietnamese and their cause. 'Stylistically sophisticated, visually and emotionally present; the pace is good and the author knows how to hold the reader's attention.'Goshawk Squadron
By Derek Robinson. 1971
World War One pilots were the knights of the sky, and the press and public idolised them as gallant young…
heroes. At just twenty-three, Major Stanley Woolley is the old man and commanding officer of Goshawk Squadron. He abhors any notion of chivalry in the clouds and is determined to obliterate the decent, gentlemanly outlook of his young, public school-educated pilots - for their own good. But as the war goes on he is forced to throw greener and greener pilots into the meat grinder. Goshawk Squadron finds its gallows humour and black camaraderie no defence against a Spandau bullet to the back of the head.Goshawk Squadron
By Derek Robinson. 1971
World War One pilots were the knights of the sky, and the press and public idolised them as gallant young…
heroes. At just twenty-three, Major Stanley Woolley is the old man and commanding officer of Goshawk Squadron. He abhors any notion of chivalry in the clouds and is determined to obliterate the decent, gentlemanly outlook of his young, public school-educated pilots - for their own good. But as the war goes on he is forced to throw greener and greener pilots into the meat grinder. Goshawk Squadron finds its gallows humour and black camaraderie no defence against a Spandau bullet to the back of the head.The War Magician: The man who conjured victory in the desert
By David Fisher. 2004
The incredible true story of the greatest illusionist of modern times and the man who altered the course of the…
second world war.Soon to be a major film starring Benedict CumberbatchPerfect for fans of OPERATION MINCEMEATJasper Maskelyne was a world famous magician and illusionist in the 1930s. When war broke out, he volunteered his services to the British Army and was sent to Egypt where the desert war had just begun. Here, he used his unique skills to save the vital port of Alexandria from German bombers and to 'hide' the Suez Canal from them. He invented all sorts of camouflage methods to make trucks look like tanks and vice versa. On Malta he developed 'the world's first portable holes': fake bomb craters used to fool the Germans into thinking they had hit their targets. His war culminated in the brilliant deception plan that won the Battle of El Alamein: the creation of an entire dummy army in the middle of the desert.The Coming of the Wolf: The Wild Hunt series prequel (Wild Hunt #4)
By Elizabeth Chadwick. 2020
The long-awaited prequel to Elizabeth Chadwick's bestselling and beloved first novel The Wild Hunt'Picking up an Elizabeth Chadwick novel you…
know you are in for a sumptuous ride'Daily Telegraph The Welsh Borders, 1069 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. Christen finds herself hastily married into the enemy side, with her brother swearing his vengeance on her new husband. 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 . . .Praise for Elizabeth Chadwick 'An author who makes history come gloriously alive'The Times 'Stunning . . . Her characters are beguiling, and the story is intriguing'Barbara Erskine 'I rank Elizabeth Chadwick with such historical novelist stars as Dorothy Dunnett and Anya Seton'Sharon Kay Penman 'Enjoyable and sensuous'Daily Mail'Meticulous research and strong storytelling'Woman & Home 'A riveting read . . . A glorious adventure not to be missed!'CandisYoung Bloods (Wellington and Napoleon 1)
By Simon Scarrow. 2006
YOUNG BLOODS is the first gripping novel in Simon Scarrow's bestselling Wellington and Napoleon quartet. Perfect for fans of Robert…
Harris.Arthur Wesley (the future Duke of Wellington) was born and bred to be a leader. With a firm belief that the nation must be led by a king, the red-coated British officer heads for battle against the French Republic, to restore the fallen monarchy.Napoleon Bonaparte joins the French military on the eve of the Revolution. He believes leadership is won by merit, not by noble birth. When anarchy explodes in Paris he's thrust into the revolutionary army poised to march against Britain.As two mighty Empires embark on a bloody duel, Wesley and Bonaparte prepare to face a sworn enemy, unaware that the fate of Europe will one day lie in their hands...Fire and Sword (The Wellington and Napoleon Quartet)
By Simon Scarrow. 2009
FIRE AND SWORD is the unputdownable third novel in Simon Scarrow's bestselling Wellington and Napoleon Quartet. A must read for…
fans of Robert Harris.1804. Napoleon Bonaparte is Emperor of France, his ultimate aim: to rule Europe. After defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar, he wins a glorious victory against Austria at Austerlitz. He then deposes the Spanish king and places his own brother on the throne. But he is yet to triumph over his most hated enemy: Great Britain.Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington) throws himself into the British campaign in Europe. After glory in Portugal, he commands the army in a series of triumphant battles across Spain. For those living reluctantly under French rule, his victories suggest that Napoleon's progress is not inexorable: freedom can be restored...The Generals (Wellington and Napoleon 2)
By Simon Scarrow. 2007
THE GENERALS is the compelling second novel in Simon Scarrow's bestselling Wellington and Napoleon quartet. A must read for fans…
of Bernard Cornwell.In the turbulent aftermath of the French Revolution Napoleon Bonaparte stands accused of treachery and corruption. His reputation is saved by his skill in leading his men to victory in Italy and Egypt. But then he must restore order in France and find peace or victory over her enemies: England - and Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington).Wellesley is leading a vast army in India, where British interests are under threat. The campaign will result in the creation of the Raj - the jewel in the British Empire's crown. Wellesley returns to England a hardened veteran and more determined than ever to end France's domination of Europe.Both Wellesley and Napoleon intend to win - whatever the cost. Who will ultimately succeed?War Story
By Derek Robinson. 1987
Fresh from school in June 1916, Lieutenant Oliver Paxton's first solo flight is to lead a formation of biplanes across…
the Channel to join Hornet Squadron in France. Five days later, he crash-lands at his destination, having lost his map, his ballast and every single plane in his charge. To his C.O. he's an idiot, to everyone else - especially the tormenting Australian who shares his billet - a pompous bastard. This is 1916, the year of the Somme, giving Paxton precious little time to grow from innocent to veteran.