In Valerio Massimo Manfredi's The Ends of the Earth Alexander's epic quest continues through the heart of Asia and on towards the mystery of India. The Macedonian Army march in search of limitless glory, crushing resistance at every turn. The beauty of Babylon is ravaged, the Palace of Persepolis burnt to ashes. An empire is destroyed and a new and bloody era begins. But there are other things on the great conqueror's mind. An ambitious project to unite the peoples of the empire in one homeland begins to obsess him, until the curious beauty of Queen Roxanna gives Alexander the strength to fulfil his destiny . . . A truly compelling and romantic book and a breathtaking conclusion to the bestselling Alexander trilogy.
The 1960s is a decade often seen through a rose-tinted lens: an era when the young would not only rule the world but change it, too, for the better. But does such fond nostalgia really stand up? Vivid, rich in anecdote, sometimes angry and always persuasive, The Sixties Unplugged is a hugely entertaining and authoritative account of the decade of myth and madness. Read it and remember that even if you weren't there, you can still find out what really happened.
Jo Wood is a former model and wife of Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood. She is also, in her own words, 'an organic nut' with her own beautiful range of organic beauty products. In her book Jo writes passionately about what an organic lifestyle has done for her, her family and friends. She explains the huge benefits of eating organically and describes the diet that brought herself and Ronnie back to health. She details the chemicals (some thought to be cancer causing) that are used in cosmetics and household products and absorbed through our skin, and tells the reader how they can find organic alternatives. She describes how to make your own oils and lotions, as well as sharing some of her favourite recipes (many cooked for her family while on tour). Packed full of useful advice and tips, informed and entertaining, this book shows that organic does not have to be boring. Anyone who cares about the health of themselves or their family will find much to inspire them.'Refreshingly clear, simple and honest' Lucia van der Post, The Times'Enlightening . . . The tone is gentle not preachy, as this is a book born out of a desire to share her experiences with anyone interested in going green' Glamour
'An admirable collection. Each story has its subtle nuances of narrative and language which established a quite distinct character. A most impressive work of fiction' The Times Graham Swift's taut prose style, natural gift for characterization and tight grasp of the details and complexities of real life combine beautifully in these concentrated and enigmatic stories to offer an incisive expose of the illusion, subterfuge and enigma of everyday interaction. Focusing on the combative relationships between men and women - between a mismatched couple; an ageing doctor and his hypochondriacal patient; a teenage refugee swept up in the conflict of an oppressively sentimental father and his rebellious son - these spare, Kafkaesque stories are a microcosm for all human cruelty and need. 'Graham Swift . . . has a wide range; he can be delicately sensitive or outrageously funny. He is a born storyteller' Daily Telegraph 'He has style and he has range, and quiet strengths that are continuously and effortlessly displayed. Graham Swift should be read by everyone with an interest in the art of the short story' Evening Standard
A Richard and Judy Book Club selection.The Crying Tree is a heartfelt family drama by Naseem Rakha.Irene Stanley thought her world had come to an end when her fifteen-year-old son, Shep, was murdered in a robbery at their Oregon home. Daniel Robbin, who had spent his teenage years in and out of trouble, gave himself up to the police and was imprisoned in the State Penitentiary.Now, eighteen years later, Robbin is placed on Death Row awaiting a date for his execution. Irene's husband, Nate, has demons from the past of his own which he needs to face, and Shep's sister, Bliss, quickly learns that she too has a part to play in the healing of her family shattered by the tragedy.Irene, having reached the brink of suicide, comes to the realization that to survive she needs to overcome her grief and her hate for Robbin, and that she must face the secrets that she suspects surround Shep's murder. She turns full circle, defying both her family and the church, and finds that she is not only capable of forgiveness for the man who murdered her son, but also she comes to terms with understanding much more about events that happened that fateful afternoon back in Carlton. And perhaps the most painful realization of all, how little they as a family understood Shep.
People are the most important asset in any business today. It is through great people that great results are achieved. To ensure that your business is as efficient as possible, as a manager you need to be able to motivate and draw out the best from others, which can be a difficult task in times of corporate change or personal uncertainty. Effective Motivation is a practical guide to developing this key leadership skill. Written by John Adair, Britain's foremost expert on leadership training, this book will help you to: Understand what motivates you and your staff Develop awareness of how you can increase energy and motivation, in yourself and others, in order to achieve your goals Grow as a leader by putting your motivational skills into practice Based on scientifically proven motivational methods, and presented in a clear, easy-to-use style, Effective Motivation will tell you everything you need to know to enable you and your team to perform to the best of your abilities and be as energetic and dynamic as you can be.
You may have mastered every other skill a manager could possibly learn, but none of that will matter if you have not learnt to build and sustain your team effectively to begin with. Most tasks in modern business are carried out by teams, so the skill of ensuring that your team works to the best of its abilities is vital if you are to achieve your business aims. In Effective Teambuilding John Adair, Britain's foremost expert on leadership training, teaches you everything you need to know to enable you to: Select the right people to create the strong foundations your team needs Encourage your team members to work well together and use each other's skills to complement their own Sustain group morale and motivation Raise standards of performance throughout the team
Innovation - the process of taking new ideas through to satisfied customers - is the lifeblood of any organization today. Nothing causes a company and the individuals working in it to lose enthusiasm more than a lack of interest in positive change. You cannot stand still: either you go forwards or you move backwards. In Effective Innovation John Adair, Britain's foremost expert on leadership training, looks at both creativity and innovation and tells you everything you need to know to enable you to generate new ideas and bring them to market. Based around Adair's 'seven habits of successful creative thinkers', this landmark book will tell you how to: Generate the best possible ideas from yourself and the people around you Listen and learn - how being curious, keen to learn and observant of others will help you to think in a more imaginative way Use constructive criticism to improve upon existing ideas Filter out those ideas that should not be further progressed Follow up on and implement ideas to best effect
Valerio Massimo Manfredi's Pharaoh is a thrilling archaeological mystery.Jerusalem, 586 BC. The kingdom of Judah is on the verge of annihilation by the Babylonians. In the chaos, the prophet Jeremiah saves the sacred Ark of the Covenant and hides it in a cave. He returns terrified, having made a discovery that appears to have sent him mad.The Middle East, early in the second millennium. Professor William Blake, renowned Egyptologist, has a surprising visit from representatives of an American mining corporation. They have discovered a strange Egyptian tomb, which risks exploding the powder keg of Middle Eastern geopolitics.Blake finds himself facing the most mysterious case of his life. The tomb of the Pharaoh lies in the middle of the desert, miles from the Nile and the Valley of the Kings. As he starts to unravel the Pharaoh's story, a disturbing theory forms in Blake's mind as to the identity of this mysterious ruler - a theory that could destroy the balance of the modern world.
Fen works in a bookshop and is devoted to her young son, Connor, but she keeps herself to herself. Haunted by guilt and a terrible secret, Fen lives a compromised life, isolated from her family, far from home and too afraid of the past to risk becoming close to anyone. She is constantly looking over her shoulder, knowing that one day the truth will catch up with her. Sean, on the other hand, is enjoying a seemingly perfect life. He has a successful career, lives in his dream home and adores his beautiful wife, Belle, and their six-year-old daughter, Amy. That is until the day Belle announces she has found someone else and wants Sean to move out. Circumstance throws Fen and Sean together. Slowly their quiet friendship turns into something much deeper and the joy they find in one another eventually gives them the confidence to trust and love again. But will the past tear them apart just as they find happiness?Missing You is a beautifully written tale of family and love, from Louise Douglas, author of The Love of My Life.
'I miss him with every breath and heartbeat. He should have been my happy ending. Instead, he is the sad beginning to my story.' Olivia and Luca Felicone had known each other nearly all their lives, but when they fell in love as teenagers and eloped to London, they broke the hearts of those closest to them. Luca's parents run Marinella's restaurant, the colourful hub of life in the otherwise bleak north-eastern seaside town of Watersford, and his mother, Angela, has never forgiven Olivia for causing such a rift in her beloved family. On a freezing January night Olivia's life is shattered when she learns that Luca has been killed in a car accident on the M1. She is left with nothing, and after suffering from weeks of overwhelming grief, she abandons her job and returns North to where Luca has been buried in Watersford, just to be close to him - even though she knows she will not be welcome at Marinella's. Olivia's chance meeting with Luca's married twin brother, Marc, leads to the realization that he is experiencing a loss almost as painful as her own. Their desolation draws them into an affair which both know has no future, but fills the space where Luca should be. It is a course of action that can only spiral out of control, and when it does, the consequences are both explosive and cruel.The Love of My Life by Louise Douglas is a beautiful novel that portrays both the innocence of childhood, and the dynamics of love and loss with deftness and sensitivity. It is, above all, a stunning debut from an author with a unique and natural narrative voice.
A Richard and Judy Book Club selection.He appears out of the sea, washed up naked, in the treacherous Straits of Gibraltar. Seemingly delirious, and claiming to be Christopher Columbus, he is taken to an insane asylum in Seville, where astonishingly he starts to reveal the true story of how he set sail on behalf of the Spanish queen five hundred years ago. Consuela, a nurse at the Institute, is charged with helping him back to reality. She listens to his fantastic tales in the hope of discovering the truth. But as his story unfolds, she finds herself falling for her patient - no longer able to tell where truth ends and fantasy begins. Meanwhile, across the continent, Emile Germain is involved in a different search. He's an Interpol officer on the hunt for a missing person, presumed dangerous. He's a determined man, and when his investigation leads to Spain these two stories collide. Part romance, part mysterious thriller, Waiting for Columbus by Thomas Trofimuk is a rich and emotional novel about love, loss, and the fragile beauty of our own life stories.
One of Britain's most popular astrologers, Claire Petulengro has many years experience of advising her clients on how to handle life's highs and lows. Now she shares her knowledge with us all. Whether you are a Pisces who goes dramatically off the rails in response to a problem, or a Scorpio who turns disaster into an opportunity, understanding your sign's strengths and weaknesses will help you deal with life's challenges. Covering love and relationships, this book will help you find and keep your soul mate, work out how to deal with your ex, and understand family and friends. It gives advice on the right careers for you, and how to handle your money - some signs are financially astute, others more likely to fall into debt. It analyses the health issues you may face and how to avoid problems in the future. And it builds your confidence, helping you to see what's good about yourself - and those close to you - on days when life gets you down. Life is unpredictable, but armed with this book you can make your journey through it a fun one.
How do you decide what is a 'story' and what isn't? What does a newspaper editor actually do all day? How do hacks get their scoops? How do the TV stations choose their news bulletins? How do you persuade people to say those awful, embarrassing things? Who earns what? How do journalists manage to look in the mirror after the way they sometimes behave? The purpose of this insider's account is to provide an answer to all these questions and more. My Trade, Andrew Marr's brilliant, and brilliantly funny, book is a guide to those of us who read newspapers, or who listen to and watch news bulletins but want to know more. Andrew Marr tells the story of modern journalism through his own experience. This is an extremely readable and utterly unique modern social history of British journalism, with all its odd glamour, smashed hopes and future possibility.
Including Clive James's most memorable pieces - his 'Postcard from Rome', his observations on Margaret Thatcher, his insights into Heaney, Larkin and Orwell - this book also contains brilliantly funny examinations of characters like Barry Humphries, as well as showcasing James's more thoughtful, analytical side. From Germaine Greer to Marilyn Monroe, from the nature of celebrity to German culpability for the Holocaust, Reliable Essays is an unmissable collection from one of the best writers of our time.
The Adultery Club: In an often grey world there are fifty shades of seduction. A wife, a husband, a mistress. Whose side will you be on? Life couldn't be happier for Nicholas Lyon, a divorce lawyer and contented husband of the beautiful Mal, a successful cookery writer and mother to their three gorgeous daughters. And then Sara Kaplan, a bright, vivacious young lawyer, explodes into his life like a sexual hand grenade. At first stunned and horrified by the extent of his attraction to her, a catastrophic event soon forces Nicholas to recognize his own mortality and throw caution to the wind. For Sara, what started as a harmless fling swiftly deepens into a painful battle for Nicholas's heart with Mal, who is not quite as preoccupied in her world of food and school runs as Nicholas had believed. But as Mal faces temptations of her own, she realizes she has to decide what she wants - and whether it's worth fighting for.
Ian Hunt is the police dispatcher for the small town of Bulls Mouth, East Texas. Just as his shift is ending he gets a call from his fourteen-year-old daughter, Maggie. Maggie, who has just been declared dead, having been snatched from her bedroom seven years ago. Her call ends in a scream. The trail leads to a local couple, but this is just the start of his battle to get his daughter back. What follows is a bullet-strewn cross-country chase along Interstate 10, from Texas to California. The riveting novel from Ryan David Jahn, the acclaimed author of Acts of Violence and Low Life, The Dispatcher is a brilliantly original, blood drenched thriller, about the lengths a man will go to for his daughter.
A gripping spy thriller from a new Le Carre Boundless wealth hides the deepest secrets . . . When a charismatic billionaire asks Ben Webster to investigate his personal affairs it isn't long before the private spy is convinced that there is something very wrong with his new client. What is Darius Qazai's real motive for contacting Webster? And what - beneath his generous, honourable image - does he have to hide? Soon Webster will discover that the tycoon's secret is far bigger and more dangerous than he could have imagined, and that his new enemy will think nothing of destroying him, or his family . . . In a heart-pounding journey which will take readers from London to Marrakech, from Italy to Dubai, Chris Morgan Jones once again asserts himself as the spy thriller writer for a new generation. Also in the Ben Webster series: An Agent of Deceit Praise for Chris Morgan Jones' Ben Webster series: 'The best spy adventure I've read in a long time' The Times 'The Jackal's Share reunites us with corporate spy Ben Webster from his debut An Agent of Deceit. Morgan Jones does invite comparisons with Le Carre, and never more so than in this elegant novel about the dark, amoral charisma of the super-rich. Murky, mesmerising stuff' Guardian 'Moves at tremendous pace and teems with exciting moments . . . such a clever and entertaining novel' The Times 'Chris Morgan Jones's debut novel, An Agent of Deceit, was rightly praised for continuing the reconfiguration of the spy novel begun by such terrific authors as Charles Cumming after the Berlin Wall came down and east versus west became too simplistic an analysis of world politics. But with The Jackal's Share it becomes clear that, actually, Morgan Jones is writing detective as well as spy fiction. The novel is as much Raymond Chandler as John le Carre; as much The Big Sleep as The Spy Who Came in From the Cold . . . Morgan Jones has more than equalled his powerful debut ' Observer 'Accomplished and believable' Sunday Times 'An elegant, tense thriller' Grazia 'Morgan Jones's prose is clean and cold, crisp and ominous . . . this is a world Morgan Jones knows, and it shows' Observer
A massive bestseller in its native Italy, and a book that can justly be compared with Roberto Saviano's Gomorrah, Blood Ties is a terrifying account of the 'ndrangheta's criminal activities over the last four decades. Originally from Calabria, this sinister organization has - like the Mafia in Sicily and the Camorra in Naples - a vicious hold over northern Italy and much of the rest of the country, too, a stranglehold that is growing every day. Told to the authors by an insider, Pippo di Bella, a 'pentito', a former member of the gang now turned state's evidence, it reveals many hitherto unknown operations, as well as throwing new light on well-known cases from the past. It shows an organization which retains and strengthens its position through corruption, drug smuggling, gun running, violence, extortion and kidnapping. Visceral, compelling and terrifyingly readable, it paints a brutally vivid picture of the most dangerous and powerful of the Italian mafias, one which demands to be read.
A Richard and Judy Book Club selection.Next of Kin by David Hosp is a gripping legal thriller in the Scott Finn series, perfect for fans of David Baldacci and Scott Turow.When Boston attorney Scott Finn agrees to defend the son of notorious mobster Eamonn McDougal, he knows he's putting his reputation on the line. But he also knows he can use him as bait to reel in the prize catch. In a city where mob crime once ruled, a core of corruption, greed, lies and deceit still lingers. And it seems there are those in power who will stop at nothing to achieve what they want. Finn, who grew up an orphan on the meanest streets in the city, is determined to solve the murder of the mother he never knew. In his search for the truth he uncovers a sinister trail of murder, betrayal and revenge borne by someone who could neither forgive nor forget. But who can be trusted, and who can be believed? And can Finn find the answers before it's too late? 'Hosp hits the trifecta - brilliant, brawny, and totally believable' David Baldacci
Sea Robber by Tim Severin is the third swashbuckling adventure in the Pirate series. Ambushed by a gang of hardened sea robbers headed for the South Sea, Hector Lynch, pirate and fugitive, must navigate their vessel on a nightmarish journey through the stormy seas off Cape Horn. There Hector uncovers the macabre and eerie remains of a small warship entombed on an ice float. Her only crew are two skeletons - the unfortunate captain and his dog, both frozen to death.When his ruthless shipmates abandon him in Peru, Hector learns from the dead captain's brother that Maria, the young Spanish woman who stole his heart and whose false testimony saved him from the gallows, is now living on the remote Ladrones, the Thief Islands, on the far side of the Pacific. Hector's epic voyage to reach Maria will bring him face to face with a Japanese warlord who submits trespassers to his island to a deadly duel and a naked Stone Age tribe who file their teeth to sharp points and sail boats that outpace the fastest galleon.
The adventure of a lifetime is just beginning . . . It has lain lost and forgotten for fifteen hundred years in the ancient heartland of England - a scrap of glass and metal melded by fierce fire. It is the lost core of a flawless Sphere made by the greatest of the Anglo-Saxon CraeftLords in memory of the one he loved. Her name was Spring and contained in the very heart of this work is a spark from the Fires of Creation. But while humans have lost their belief in such things, the Hydden - little people existing on the borders of our world - have not. Breaking the silence of centuries they send one of their own, a young boy, Jack, to live among humans in the hope that he may one day find what has been lost for so long. His journey leads him to Katherine, a girl he rescues from a tragic accident it's a meeting that will change everything. It is only through their voyage into the dangerous Hyddenworld that they will realize their destiny, find love and complete the great quest that will save both their worlds from destruction. Their journey begins with Spring . . .
Published to coincide with the launch of Ron Howard's blockbuster film, and following on from the huge success of the eponymous West End and Broadway play, Frost/Nixon tells the extraordinary story of how David Frost pursued and landed the biggest fish of his career. When he first conceived the idea of interviewing Richard Nixon and trying to bring the ex-President to confront his past, he was told on all sides that the project would never get off the ground. Yet in the end he succeeded, and the resulting television series drew larger audiences than any news programme ever had in the United States, before being shown all over the world. Including hilarious tales of the people Frost encountered along the way and fascinating insights into the making of the series itself, this book provides an account of the only public trial that Nixon would ever have, and a revelation of the man's character as it appeared in the stress of twelve gruelling sessions before the cameras. Fully revised and updated with historical perspective, and including transcripts of the edited interviews, Frost/Nixon describes David Frost's quest to produce one of the most dramatic pieces of television ever broadcast.
In Not Quite World's End, Simpson offers a lively and upbeat look at the challenges and the changes the world has gone through in his life and long career. In it, he looks at the world and takes the perhaps surprising view that it's actually not nor will be the end of the world. His vivid prose, his clear-sightedness and the wonderful anecdotes about the many strange people and places he has come across - from emperors to movie stars, from Chelsea to China - all add up to a richly satisfying read. And with his long experience and his remarkable ability to explain what's really going on out there, he offers us all a crumb of comfort in desperate times. 'He is a very fine journalist' Nelson Mandela 'Inspirational, anecdotal, humorous and chilling. Simpson's unbiased accounts are riveting' Bob Geldof
Why does the size of a space shuttle's fuel tanks have more to do with a horse's rump than rocket science? Is there a correlation between the humble pint and the capacity of the human bladder? And why is an old Wellington boot as important an instrument of spacial awareness as was ever invented? About the Size of It is a hugely entertaining history of traditional weights and measures that will make you look at your everyday world in a completely different way . . . 'A full and convincing account of why our well-tried and trusted traditional measures make human sense' Alexander McCall Smith 'His direct, engaging conversational prose is a delight to read... inspirational' Andrew Roberts 'Absolutely masterly. Lucid and wise and touching and absolutely right' Jilly Cooper
Escape on a journey of suspense-filled, non-stop action in Saving Faith by David Baldacci, one of the world's favourite storytellers.Danny Buchanan is a top Washington lobbyist who once earned a vast fortune serving the interests of giant corporations. But then, appalled by the desperate poverty he witnessed on his global travels, he decided to use his political genius to help the world's poor. With the aid of his loyal assistant, attractive and committed Faith Lockhart, Danny now works tirelessly, and in secret, to redress the balance of power.But Robert Thornhill has rather different ideas about what constitutes as public service. A ruthless top-ranking veteran of covert CIA activity, he discovers the secret of Danny's political influence and is determined to destroy him . . .
Winner of the Royal Society of Literature's Heinemann Award and the Thomas Cook Award.
From Vanessa Bell and Charlotte Bronte to Nina Simone and Jane Campion, here are over one hundred and forty female writers, painters, musicians, sculptors, poets, choreographers, and filmmakers on how they create and work.
The story of two lone geniuses and the extraordinary race to invent photography
The Telephone Box Library by Rachael Lucas is a heart-warming, comforting read for fans of Cathy Bramley.
Jetzt zum Newsletter anmelden und tolle Angebote und Anregungen für Ihre nächste Lektüre erhalten.
Mit Ihrer Newsletter-Anmeldung erklären Sie sich mit unseren Datenschutzbestimmungen einverstanden.
