Bøker av Tim Saunders

What to do with a tractor that keeps breaking down? Call in the farm animals: they will sort it!

When Napoleon overreached himself by usurping the Burbon throne of Spain in early 1808, the resulting Spanish resentment and the brutal suppression of the Dos di Mayo Rebellion in Madrid turned Spain, a long-term enemy of Britain, into an ally. Sir Arthur Wellesley's expedition to South America was promptly cancelled and redirected to the Peninsular. Eventually landing in Portugal at the mouth of the Rio Mondego, the army found itself with little transport, but by keeping close to the coast and with logistical support from the Royal Navy, Wellesley set off south to confront Marshal Junot and liberate Lisbon. The first clash of arms was at Obidos and, days later, at the Combat of Roliça, Wellesley achieved his first victory in battle against the willey General Delaborde. With word that reinforcements were expected to arrive at Maceira Bay, the army was deployed at Vimiero to protect their landing. Meanwhile, Junot had assembled his army and decided to attack at Vimiero. In a short but hard-fought battle, Wellesley was victorious, however an opportunity for total defeat of the French was squandered in succession by generals Burrard and Dalrymple, who instead accepted an armistice. This eventually became the notorious Convention of Cintra.

Not suitable reading for adults easily upset or embarrassed by matters of life and the body.Please keep out of reach of childrenNot so much the poet laureateMore the poet toiletteYou thought poetry was boring... think again...

They say things come in threes and this certainly seems to be true for DI Kate Medlar in her third investigation in the series. A murder investigation tips into both local and international drug rings. A second murder overlaps with a theft and Kate finds all three crimes have links. She has to play a long game if she is going to bring each element to a successful conclusion.

Contributors have been inspired by a variety of aspects of life from Saturday night TV through to family, the food we eat, harvest, history and even politics. Within these pages there are some delightful poems. The result is an entertaining anthology of thought-provoking and meaningful poetry, particularly relevant to our troubled times.

Garry wasn't really sure what he wanted to do when he left school. Something arty appealed. One day his mother returned from her monthly visit to a posh hair salon in London's Mayfair. She always had so much fun when she was there - it was like going to the theatre and coming out with a new hairdo. That inspired Garry to sign a contract for a hairdressing apprenticeship. His mum was so proud.

Bulls are big business in America. Breeding and riding them can earn considerable sums. But it's not for the faint-hearted. Sandi's dad has already had to leave his career as a bull rider due to injury and now she has fallen in love with a guy who wants to pursue this for his occupation. Something she vowed she would never do. So what will happen? Find out in Darlene Winter's first novel.

"Complex, erudite and immensely readable poems from a writer who uses a rich linguistic palette to address timeless and contemporary themes. These multi-layered poems are a deeply satisfying read - fusing musicality, lyricism with fascinating themes and motifs. Frank McMahon's poems have a rare and precious power, they inspire and inform in equal measure. An important poet with much to say," Anna Saunders - Poet and Founding Director Cheltenham Poetry Festival "Frank McMahon is a poet with a rare sensitivity to place and experience. His poems are like the needle of a seismograph, measuring the deep and daily tremors of our lives with an accuracy that is both moving and delightful," Juliette Morton - Poet, Writer, Director of Dialect Writers

Award winning American writer Marion Desmond's first book features three short stories that explore disappointment, tragedy and new beginnings. She lives in England.

In this anthology twenty-four contributors find lots to celebrate: HumourPeopleHealthPetsDeterminationHistor

A number of happenings disturb the tranquil pastoral scene in the picturesque village of Waterton. Suicide, a fatal car accident and a child contracting polio all indicate that something supernatural is affecting the community and the discovery of a black altar in the woods does nothing to allay this impression. Set against a background of a village school in the early 1950s, the broad dialect of the children is both humorous and poignant and the narrative contains plenty of contrastingly different characters like Bob Allen, a somewhat dissolute but compassionate teacher. Then there's the man-eating Lizzie Johnson... The culmination is horrific.

Welcome to the world of Helen and Lysander, a brother and sister in ancient Sparta. It is the eve of their seventh birthdays and the following morning they are set to enter one of the world's harshest training programmes. In this first book, Helen and Lysander must overcome hunger, pain and injury in a series of life-threatening challenges. Their biggest challenge is surviving the annual festival designed to introduce the new trainees to the rest of Sparta. But Helen and Lysander do not face their challenges alone. They have help from Pylos, a helot or slave boy, who considers Lysander to be his only friend and who quietly helps them at key moments. He does this at great risk to himself and to Lysander and Helen; for it is forbidden for Spartans and helots to be friends. So, join Helen, Lysander and Pylos on a series of heart-stopping adventures on their journey through to adulthood and their involvement in some of the critical points in Spartan history. This book is suitable for readers aged 10 and upwards.

Sorrow fills the airwaves. It is everywhere. We live in a world at war, the planet is overheating and we are killing ourselves through the over use of technology.Those of us who stick two fingers up to consumerism and stand out from that vast crowd should be applauded rather than frowned upon as being different and strange for not having a mobile phone or smart watch. We cherish our sanity, reality and take great pleasure in the little things in life, see Roger Knight's work for more details. Life's experiences including when death comes knocking at our door, as sure it will, is what our journey here on earth is all about. Those who have lost a loved one will experience overwhelming sorrow, there's no way round it. But such challenges make us stronger and shape who we become.This anthology of poetry, short stories and observations delivers varying perspectives on the aspect of sorrow in our lives.

Comforting thoughts keep us going when times get tough. As Mary Cochrane writes in the opening poem, love is comforting - that virtue that makes us all feel worthwhile. Many other things give comfort too - memories of the past, the wonderful aroma of home cooking, confiding in someone who cares, simply cuddling a loved one, snuggling up in front of a roaring fire on a bitterly cold winter's day - such thoughts help maintain a positive mood. All these visions have one thing in common - love. So there you have it, an anthology crammed full of love in the form of poetry and short stories that will help provide comfort during times of need.

If you have ever worked in an office you will connect immediately with what you are about to read. If however you haven't experienced the office environment you are likely to come to the conclusion that this is another planet inhabited by some very strange people. It's real life in a corporate goldfish bowl. From the cleaner to the Chief Executive, the office offers a kaleidoscope of characters of different shapes, sizes, backgrounds and religions. I am retired now but I worked in an office environment for thirty-five years. I specialised in Value Added Tax (VAT) and during this time worked for the UK Government, mainly as a VAT inspector, two top London accountancy firms as a client facing senior manager then ended my career in the private sector. My last position was in-house VAT manager responsible for VAT compliance and planning for a multinational insurance company. This story is based on real situations emanating from my seven-year stint at that company and it is those events that inspired me to write it.

Comforting, heartfelt, feel good short stories about life with satisfying uplifting endings. The preserve of Rebecca Mansell. In this delightful book Rebecca skilfully tackles many subjects including love, confidence, hope and grief. Her writing style is easy-going and engaging, making the reader really want more. No surprise then that she has had countless short stories published in national magazines.

Tom Franks spent a decade searching for hidden and lost treasure. It was his passion but also his living. There was always the probability of disappointment around the corner, especially where Nazi gold was concerned.After the Second World War, treasure including paintings and sculpture, all plundered by the Nazis from France, Poland and other countries as they were conquered from 1940 to 1945, were discovered.The subject of Nazi gold was the hottest topic in the world of treasure hunting because it was believed to be stored and hidden around Europe. It was rumoured that this gold was finally brought together in one place and hidden by the Nazi hierarchy... But where was it? Would it be found? A trilogy of fate awaits.

This collection is a story about the perseverance of the self and the strength of the community; the inevitability of becoming broken and beaten; the reminder that we are connected and we are exquisite; that our scars show where we did not die: and that when we are underestimated, bloodied, and battered, we will rise again.Both personal and communal, drawing strength specifically from the Yazidi people through her time in Iraq - Maia tries to make sense of the utterly unimaginable and the all too common, so that the reader may take solace in exploring the beauty and depth of their own sheer strength in the face of pain and anguish.The universe will always promise brutality and struggle.Individuals will always possess the power of resilience.Humanity will always offer a future.

The Paul Cave Prize for Literature, established in 2023 by Tim Saunders Publications, is in memory of Paul Astley Cave-Browne-Cave (1917 to 2010), a hugely inspirational magazine and book publisher. In 1960 Paul founded Hampshire the county magazine, running it for over forty years. The prize covers all forms of poetry: haiku, free verse, sonnet, acrostic, villanelle, ballad, limerick, ode, elegy, flash fiction, short stories and novellas in any genre except erotic. Work must be new and unpublished. International submissions welcome. The rights to any works published remain with the author. Winners of each category receive a cash prize, have extracts of their work published on the website and receive a complimentary copy of The Paul Cave Prize for Literature. Book 2 features the Highly Commended No Good Deed Left Unpunished by Kirsty Borthwick as well as other novellas by: PW Frank LingTom BowlerBraun TuellerDavid RentonMarc R MicciolaElijah AndrewsMarco MedugnoJae Vail

The Paul Cave Prize for Literature, established in 2023 by Tim Saunders Publications, is in memory of Paul Astley Cave-Browne-Cave (1917 to 2010), a hugely inspirational magazine and book publisher. In 1960 Paul founded Hampshire the county magazine, running it for over 40 years.The prize covers all forms of poetry: haiku, free verse, sonnet, acrostic, villanelle, ballad, limerick, ode, elegy, flash fiction, short stories and novellas in any genre except erotic. Work must be new and unpublished. International submissions welcome. The rights to any works published remain with the author. Winners of each category receive a cash prize, have extracts of their work published on the website and receive a complimentary copy of The Paul Cave Prize for Literature. Book 1 features the winning novella That's all she wrote by Marion Desmond and others by: Anthony WilsonKate YoungDavid JosephKatherine BaldwinAnne HottaJustin SeidererJenni BrooksCassidy ElwoodPat DoelRobert SchatzMartin Johansson

Fear is an emotional reaction to something that seems dangerous. Within these pages you will find poetry and short stories that explore this emotion.

In September 2023 two horrendous events occurred in the African continent within a day of each other. Firstly, on September 9 a devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Atlas Mountains, 70 kilometres from Marrakesh in Morocco, killing over three thousand people. The following day deadly floods struck Derna in Libya claiming over eleven thousand lives with more than ten thousand missing. Our thoughts and prayers are with the inhabitants of these countries. All the royalties from the sale of this anthology of poetry, short stories, art and photography are being donated to the British Red Cross appeals for Morocco and Libya.

Inside this book is a rich collection of poetry covering a broad range of subjects touching on a great many emotions. They have been written by a variety of contributors from around the world.

Every month between May 2022 and April 2023 a painting was selected from a professional artist belonging to Creative Coverage. Contributors were invited to submit a poem or a short story about the particular painting. The rich and varied submissions now feature in this wonderful ebook (full colour), paperback (black and white) and luxurious hardback (full colour).

This story is set in the slums of Glasgow in the 1970s and 1980s. It exposes the early lives of Mary and her brother John, born to lower-class Irish immigrant parents; their struggles through a childhood of neglect and abuse and the constant fear of their violent father and schizophrenic mother.Mary escapes at the age of sixteen and returns a year later to find her fourteen year old brother living on the street. She takes him into her care and soon after becomes his legal guardian. They remain together for five years.By this time Mary is living with a controlling and volatile man. He introduces her to drugs and the seedy underworld of Glasgow's bedsits, drug dealers and criminals. They are uprooted many times and Mary believes that she is destined to end her days in the filthy room in which they finally find themselves. But John dreams of a brighter future and convinces her to move to London permanently.

Thank goodness that Jamie Tucknutt discovered poetry. As much for us as for him. For poetry is a great release that has enabled Jamie to tackle his demons, namely that of child abuse. As he says, poetry is written as much for the writer as it is for the reader. It is a cathartic exercise, excellent for stimulating positive mental health. When a writer is brave enough to share their experiences with a wider audience their work can help others with similar experiences. Never underestimate the power of poetry. Reading Jamie's 40 poems is a pleasure and it is a privilege to be invited into his innermost thoughts. He revisits good memories and terrible ones while also adding some really thought-provoking work, which will make you think differently about time and anarchy...

The East Anglia Collection features poetry and short stories from contributors in Norfolk and Suffolk. The foreword is written by award winning Suffolk poet Virginia Betts, whose work also features.

The Scotland Collection is an anthology of poetry and short stories celebrating this country, its inhabitants, their accents, dialects and vocabulary with a nod to the past. Foreword by Angela Blacklock-Brown and book cover by award winning Scottish photographer Sarah Morton.

Poetry is an excellent, concise form of communication that expresses great emotion. I love it. This book features the very best poems by over 50 poets selected from The Regional Anthologies Collection published by Tim Saunders Publications and there are some real crackers. A vast array of subjects is covered from everyday life through to getting older, nature and the environment, love and romance and even laugh out loud humour, thanks to Paul Franklin.