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A.N. Wilson is a noted and prize winning biographer with studies of Tolstoy, Dickens, Milton and C.S. Lewis to his credit among others. Here he turns his outstanding gifts to a study of the life and thought of Goethe - poet, dramatist, politician. Goethe's life touched every aspect of what made the world become modern. And the great poetic drama of Faust is in essence the story of this. Not a biography in the traditional sense, Wilson breaks the mould - it is the portrait of an age seen through the prism of Goethe's continuing obsession with the Faust myth - the story of a German necromancer who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power. The relevance of this will not escape the modern reader and Goethe is shown to be one of the great prophets of modern Europe, the Europe of today.

Everyone can access confidence - it's just a case of learning how.Would you like to feel more confident but don't know where to start? Then Holly Matthews is here to help. Confidence is not a skill that we're born with or without but something that can be taught, practised and developed along the way. Focusing on both your inner and outer confidence, Holly will help transform your self-belief from the inside out. She draws on her coaching work to improve how you feel at your core and uses her tools as a professional actor to help you look more confident too. Each chapter is broken down to focus on a different everyday scenario - from social situations and work to trying something new or navigating a relationship - as Holly provides simple and practical advice for tackling confidence head-on.No matter what we're going through, we all deserve to feel good about ourselves. This is your first step.

A collection of the most fascinating letters by the world's greatest scientists.?Most people say that it is the intellect which makes a great scientist. They are wrong: it is character' - Albert EinsteinScientists are not often remembered for their character, but rather for the enduring impact of their ideas, inventions, and discoveries. Letters for the Ages: The Great Scientists delves beyond the known historical facts and narratives to uncover the personal writings of some of history's greatest thinkers and innovators, drawing together over 100 private and intimate letters from across almost 500 years of scientific history.This collection illuminates the individuals behind humanity's greatest ideas and inventions - from the vaccine to the telephone, the engine to the X-ray - and those responsible for broadening our understanding of our world and the universe beyond. Each letter provides us with an opportunity for exploration and empathy - each a new chance to understand the desires to create, discover and improve held at the core of our humanity.Immerse yourself in the words of some of history's greatest scientific minds, including Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, Francis Crick, Rosalind Franklin, Galileo Galilei, Alan Turing and Stephen Hawking amongst many others.

Three quarters of us say we never had a financial education, and so it's no wonder so many of us feel broke, stressed and with no idea how to use our money to create the life we really want. Anna Brading was like us - struggling with a growing family and rising bills - until she set out on a life changing journey of financial literacy. She's now a Certified Financial Education Instructor and launched her TikTok MONEY FOR MILLENNIALS (160k+) to demystify mastering your money. She's helped thousands of people to take control of their finances and achieve financial wellbeing, and now it's your turn.Money Mentor is an invitation to transform your finances, to get out of the rut of living paycheque to paycheque and to get rid of the nagging/stressful feeling that things should be better and we should be doing more with our money. Anna Brading is here to teach us the stuff about money that we should have been taught in school, and to show us that taking control of your finances can be fun. Anna walks us through the 10 key principles to help you break out of this rut and prioritise your financial wellbeing. Money Mentor is a friendly and practical guide to helping you piece together your own financial plan - step by step - leaving you feeling empowered and free to pursue the life you want. Includes the author's own story, case studies, illustrations, exercises, quotes and more.

Make room Herodotus, stand down Bede, pipe down Pepys . . . There's a new history book in town. Pre-order your copy now.From the chart-topping podcast The Rest is History, a whistle-stop tour through the past - from Alexander the Great to Tolkien, the Wars of the Roses to Watergate. The nation's favourite historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook take on the most curious moments in history, answering the questions we didn't even think to ask:- Did the Trojan War actually happen?- What was the most disastrous party in history?- Was Richard Nixon more like Caligula or Claudius?- How did a hair appointment almost blow Churchill's cover?- Why did the Nazis believe they were descended from Atlantis?Whether it is sending historical figures to Casa Amor in a series of Love Island, ranking history's most famous eunuchs and pigeons (including Winky, the unsung hero of the Second World War), or debating the meaning of greatness, there is nothing too big or too small for Tom and Dominic to unpick.So run your Egyptian milk bath, strap up your best Spartan sandals, and prepare for a journey down the highways and byways of the human past. . .

A provocative, tender and darkly funny novel that explores the painful truths of modern-day connection, and all the complicated and unexpected forms that love can take in a lifetime.'Inventive astute and funny' Observer 'As rip-roaring as it is thought provoking' i'A love triangle, but with a twist' Guardian'Highly original, deeply moving, simultaneously delicate yet hard hitting' Claire Kilroy'Funny and dark. Tender and tough. Uncanny and relatable' Erin KellyImagine discovering an animatronic sex doll hidden in the garage. What would you do?Dolores initially does nothing. She assumes the doll belongs to her husband, David, and their relationship is already strained. They're not young, they're not old; they have no children, they keep up with the markers of being middle class and Dolores is well versed in keeping men's secrets.But then, Dolores and Zoey start to talk ...What surfaces runs deeper than Dolores could have ever expected, with consequences for all of the relationships in her life, especially her relationship to herself.Hey, Zoey is a propulsive story of love, family, and trauma in our tech-buffered age of alienation, as strange as it is familiar.'Brilliant, provocative, and darkly funny' Sarah Dunn'Unique, refreshing and revelatory ... Reads the zeitgeist perfectly' Helen Cullen'A singular writer with her own style and conviction' Irish Times 'It makes you think, and it makes you feel' Lesley Glaister'The beauty of its prose keeps ... Keeps the reader gripped' Irish Independent

A historic institution is hiding a very modern threat.The studentLi Min, a Chinese student, is forced by her government to transfer from Harvard to Oxford University, where she is recruited to an elite Chinese study centre based out of St Felix's College. The scapegoatMeanwhile, the centre's newly recruited head stumbles on its more sinister purpose: recruiting Chinese and sympathetic British students to steal high-value research and intellectual property. Unsure who at the university he can trust, he turns to CIA agent Manon Tyler for help. The spy who might be their only hope...But as Li and another Chinese-American student are drawn deeper into a deadly game, will Manon be able to penetrate the heart of St Felix's secrets in time to save them?PRAISE FOR STELLA RIMINGTON:'Intriguing and very cleverly-plotted' ALEX GERLIS'Races along at breakneck speed. Packed with insider information, this is not one to miss' M. W. CRAVEN'Damn good' Daily Telegraph'A must-read for fans of contemporary spy fiction' Publishers Weekly'This is something rare: the spy novel that prizes authenticity over fabrication, that is true to the character and spirit of intelligence work' Mail on Sunday

The third instalment in the international bestselling series, by the author of the The Priory of the Orange TreeA rebel who becomes a queenFollowing a bloody battle against foes on every side, Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of Underqueen, ruling over London's criminal population. But, having turned her back on Jaxon Hall and with vengeful enemies still at large, the task of stabilising the fractured underworld has never seemed so challenging. Little does Paige know that her reign may be cut short by the introduction of Senshield, a deadly technology that spells doom for the clairvoyant community and the world as they know it...

The fourth instalment in the international bestselling series, by the author of the The Priory of the Orange TreePaige Mahoney has eluded death again. Snatched from the jaws of captivity and consigned to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of Paris, she finds herself caught between those factions that seek Scion's downfall and those who would kill to protect the Rephaim's puppet empire.The mysterious Domino Programme has plans for Paige, but she has ambitions of her own in this new citadel. With Arcturus Mesarthim - her former enemy - at her side, she embarks on an adventure that will lead her from the catacombs of Paris to the glittering hallways of Versailles. Her risks promise high reward: the Parisian underworld could yield the means to escalate her rebellion to outright war.As Scion widens its bounds and the free world trembles in its shadow, Paige must fight her own memories after her ordeal at the hands of Scion. Meanwhile, she strives to understand her bond with Arcturus, which grows stronger by the day. But there are those who know the revolution began with them - and could end with them...

A startlingly beautiful story of a family's survival, and an unforgettable dystopian vision of a familiar world in flamesA Spectator Book of the Year'Impossible to put down' Daily Telegraph'Instantly immersive, beautifully imagined, this is an unflinching but inspiring story about some things we're going to lose, and other things we must never lose' Lee Child'Left me breathless: it is a stunning, poetic, impelling story of love and survival, which I could not stop reading ... An incredible novel' Jodie Whittaker______________________________________The world is on fire. And what will you do?In a city rocked by global catastrophe, home-grown terrorism, shortages and wildfires, Cass is quietly raising three small children by herself. Her husband, Nathaniel, has left to serve as a medic in a war overseas.As life in the city becomes increasingly impossible, Cass knows she can no longer wait for Nathaniel's return. Packing up their lives, she and the children set off in search of a place of greater safety.But Cass will learn that not all promises and not all sanctuaries are what they seem - and as the fires around them begin to close in, she'll discover just how far she'll go for her children in a world teetering on apocalypse.Sensual, claustrophobic and vivid, Briefly Very Beautiful announces the arrival of a major new talent, painting an unforgettable portrait of a mother trying to hold her family together. ______________________________________________'Beautiful and timely, tough yet tender ...This is an important book and I devoured it' Clover Stroud'Gorgeous, fierce and haunting ... A book that is, quite literally, on fire. Very beautiful and all-too brief' Catherine Taylor 'A story that burns from the page. Dineen writes about motherhood and the climate crisis with piercing clarity' Amy Twigg, author of Spoilt Creatures'A haunting vision of our slow-motion apocalypse. This is exactly what it will be like' Michael LaPointe, author of The Creep

Olia Hercules has spent a decade travelling across the Ukraine, collecting and preserving precious recipes and traditions from her home country. For nearly as long, she has wanted to share the tales from three generations of her extraordinary family: their quests, their resilience and their sufferings, as well as their joy, their quirks, and their food. Hercules confronts the lineage of Ukrainian history through the perspective of her grandparents who endured forced emigration, near starvation and wrongful imprisonment. She thoughtfully traces her own childhood during the collapse of the Soviet Union. And comes to terms with the reality of her career success, inspired by her homeland's customs, at a time when Ukraine is fighting to retain those very customs and its identity in the face of conflict. Strong Roots brims with hope and fear, it lays bare the compromises and betrayals of generations living with, while attempting to recover from, the burden of political upheaval, but is also an uplifting and tender reminder of how much the human spirit can endure when born from a land rich with strong roots.

A smart, savage and hilarious debut exploring love, sexuality, purpose - and the delicious absurdities of online lifeElsa is struggling. Her formative, exhilarating relationship - with an older couple - has abruptly ended, leaving her depressed and directionless in her childhood bedroom. In the relationship's wake, Elsa scrolls aimlessly through the internet in search of meaning. Faithfully, her screen provides a new obsession: a charismatic young actor whose latest feature is a gay love story that illuminates Elsa's crisis. And then, as if she had conjured him, the actor arrives in her hometown, with an entourage of fellow actors, writers, and directors, for the annual theatre festival. When she is hired at the one upscale restaurant in town, Elsa finds herself thrown into in contact with the actor and his circle. But her obsession shifts from the actor to his frequent dinner companion - an alluring, androgynous person called Sam. As this confusing connection develops, Elsa is forced to grapple with her sexuality, the uncomfortable truths about the end of her last relationship, and the patterns that may be playing out once again. Unflinchingly sharp and funny, Misrecognition is an unforgettable debut novel about the internet, post-postmodern adulthood and queer identity.

The English language has no specific word for the parent that has lost a child. There exist words for orphan, widow and widower, but there is no word that captures and conveys this tragic type of loss. It has been eleven years since Diane Foley's son, the American journalist James Foley, was kidnapped in northern Syria, and nearly ten since that day in August 2014 when she would learn that he had been murdered by ISIS in a public beheading that would ricochet in video around the world. A whole decade. Time rushes past. And yet, for Diane, that moment is unending. In American Mother, legendary author Colum McCann tells Diane's story as she recalls the months of his captivity, the efforts made to bring him home and the days following his death, in which Diane came face to face with one of the men responsible for her son's kidnapping and torture. A testament to the power of radical empathy and moral courage, American Mother takes us inside one woman's extraordinary journey to find connection in a world torn asunder, and to fight for others as a way to keep her son's memory alive.

New York Times bestselling author and TikTok sensation Kalynn Bayron returns to fairytales with a lush, thrilling and original YA Snow White retelling that brings a new and exciting voice to this familiar tale. Perfect for fans of Cinderella Is Dead.Only the truly desperate - and foolish - seek out the Knight, an ancient monster who twists wishes into curses. Eve knows this first-hand: one of her mothers was cursed by the Knight and trapped in the body of a songbird. With the unique abilities to communicate with animals and conjure weapons from nature, Eve has trained all her life to defeat him.With more and more villagers harmed by the Knight's corrupt deals, Eve believes she's finally ready to face him. But when Queen Regina begins acting strangely - talking to seemingly no one, isolating herself, and lashing out at the slightest provocation - Eve must question if her powers are enough to save her family and her kingdom.

A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK | AN INSTANT #2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Humanity has transformed the Earth: Frankopan transforms our understanding of history' Financial Times'Vast, learned and timely work' Sunday Times------From the international bestselling author of The Silk Roads comes a major history of how a changing climate has dramatically shaped the development-and demise-of civilisations across time.When we think about history, we rarely pay much attention to the most destructive floods, the worst winters, the most devastating droughts or the ways that ecosystems have changed over time. In The Earth Transformed, Peter Frankopan, one of the world's leading historians, shows that the natural environment is a crucial, if not the defining, factor in global history - and not just of humankind. Volcanic eruptions, solar activities, atmospheric, oceanic and other shifts, as well as anthropogenic behaviour, are fundamental parts of the past and the present. In this magnificent and groundbreaking book, we learn about the origins of our species: about the development of religion and language and their relationships with the environment; about how the desire to centralise agricultural surplus formed the origins of the bureaucratic state; about how growing demands for harvests resulted in the increased shipment of enslaved peoples; about how efforts to understand and manipulate the weather have a long and deep history. All provide lessons of profound importance as we face a precarious future of rapid global warming. Taking us from the Big Bang to the present day and beyond, The Earth Transformed forces us to reckon with humankind's continuing efforts to make sense of the natural world.-----'This is epic, gripping, original history that leaps off the page' Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland'All Historians aiming to tell a narrative face the problem of when exactly to start it. Only Peter Frankopan would go back 2.5 billion years to the Great Oxidation Event' Tom HollandA 2023 HIGHLIGHT FOR: BBC NEWS * SUNDAY TIMES CULTURE * FINANCIAL TIMES * NEW EUROPEAN * GUARDIAN * NEW STATESMAN * THE TIMES * THE WEEK * WATERSTONES * BLACKWELL'S

Layal Liverpool spent her adolescence seeing different doctors, trying to find an explanation for the mysterious rash on her face and arms. When every prescription failed to cure her, she concluded that it must be a rare skin condition that defied diagnosis and treatment. That is until as an adult, she met a dermatologist who quickly provided an accurate diagnosis - eczema. How could so many specialists and medical professionals have gotten it wrong? Liverpool realised that every previous doctor she had seen had one thing in common: they were white. It took a doctor with a darker skin tone like Layal to recognise that eczema looks different on darker skin. This led her to think - what other medical conditions go undiagnosed in darker-skinned people because doctors aren't trained to recognise the diverse ways that symptoms can manifest? Could an ostensibly objective scientific practice like medicine be racist?In Systemic, Liverpool draws on her background in biomedicine and reporting from across the world to determine the ways in which racism affects our health. Race is a social construct, not a biological one, but Liverpool's research reveals that from the moment of birth, race has a profound impact on health. From cardiovascular disease to viruses, from cancer to mental illness, she delves into the reasons racial health disparities exist and reveals that diseases are not ?great equalisers' - not when you live in an unequal society. The widespread adoption of new, anti-racist medical standards will be central in creating a healthier world for everyone.

WINNER OF THE SAPIR PRIZE 2022'A mesmerising, disquieting tale of family estrangement . Unforgettable' OBSERVER'A striking and memorable novel' MEG WOLITZER'A stone-cold masterwork of psychological tension. Its final pages had me holding my breath' NEW YORK TIMES'Hila Blum is my new favourite writer' LOUISE KENNEDY-------------------------------------------What damage do we do in the blindness of love?Thousands of miles from her home, a woman stands on a dark street, peeking through well-lit windows at two little girls. They are the daughters of her only daughter, the grandchildren she's never met.At the centre of this mesmerising story is the woman's quest to understand how a relationship that began in bliss - a mother besotted with her only child - arrived at a point of such unfathomable distance. Weaving back and forth in time, she unravels memories and long-buried feelings, retracing the infinite acts of parental care, each so mundane and apparently benign, that together may have undermined what she most treasured.With exquisite psychological precision, Blum traces the seemingly insignificant missteps and deceptions of family life, where it's possible to cross the line between protectiveness and possession without even seeing it - and it's uncertain whether, or how, we can find our way back.-------------------------------------------'When I read this book, I felt ... that a new and wonderful occurrence has transpired in Israeli literature' Neri Livne, Haaretz

'A ravishing picaresque told with fireworks, finesse and gusto' PAUL LYNCH, author of Prophet SongIn a rented room outside Plymouth in 1685, a daughter is born as her half-brother is dying. Her mother makes a decision: Mary will become Mark, and Ma will continue to collect his inheritance money.Mary's dual existence will take her to a grand house where she'll serve a French mistress; to the navy where she'll learn who to trust, and how to navigate by the stars; to the army and the battlegrounds of Flanders, following her one true friend; and finding love among the bloodshed and mud. But none of this will stop her yearning for the sea. Drawn back to the water, Mary must reinvent herself yet again, for a woman aboard a ship is a dangerous thing. This time Mary will become something more dangerous than a woman. She will become a pirate. Breathing life into the Golden Age of Piracy, Saltblood is a wild adventure, a treasure trove, weaving an intoxicating tale of gender and survival, passion and loss, journeys and transformation, through the story of Mary Read, one of history's most remarkable figures.

We believe that rules and laws are in place to protect us. They are what keep our societies from descending into chaos. Without them, how would we know our right from wrong, live comfortably in our communities and be good neighbours to one another? C.L. Skach feels differently. She always believed in the strength of the law - she spent her career in some of the most fractured, war-torn corners of the world, reading and writing constitutions to help fix society. But as she sat alone in a sandbagged trailer in Baghdad after a rocket attack, she admitted what she'd been denying for years: a good society cannot be imposed from above. It comes from leaning less on formal rules, and more on each other.Skach lays out six ideas, informed by everything from civil wars to civil rights struggles, bystander responsibility to mutual aid in the pandemic, to help us build small societies of our own. These ideas sometimes sound simple: share the vegetables from your garden, spend time on a park bench. But taken together they can amount to real, bottom-up change.How to Be a Citizen is a hopeful handbook for a better world - one we can all help build together.

The sequel to the Sunday Times-bestselling South Korean therapy memoir, translated by International Booker Prize-shortlisted Anton Hur When Baek Sehee started recording her sessions with her psychiatrist, her hope was to create a reference for herself. She never imagined she would reach so many people, especially young people, with her reflections. I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki became a runaway bestseller in South Korea, Indonesia, and the U.S., and reached a community of readers who appreciated depression and anxiety being discussed with such intimacy. Baek's struggle with dysthymia continues in I Want to Die but I Still Want to Eat Tteokbokki. And healing is a difficult process; the inner conflict she experiences in treatment becomes more complex, more challenging. With this second book, Baek Sehee reaches out to hold the hands of all those for whom grappling with everyday despair is part of a lifelong project, part of the journey.

'A perfect book club read ... Assured and powerful' SUNDAY TIMES'A compelling, compassionate page-turner' OBSERVER'I loved this novel ... An addictive read' GILLIAN ANDERSON'Moves between rage, forgiveness and hope ... A stonkingly good novel' SARAH WINMAN'A beautiful, accomplished debut' LOUISE KENNEDY'Impressive' TLS'An absolute triumph ... I loved everything about it' GILL HORNBYIt's 1994 in County Donegal, Ireland, and everyone is talking about Colette Crowley - the writer, the bohemian, the woman who left her husband and sons to pursue a relationship with a married man in Dublin. But now Colette is back, and nobody knows why.Returning to the community to try and reclaim her old life, Colette quickly learns that they are unwilling to give it back to her. The man to whom she is still married is denying her access to her children, and while the legalisation of divorce might be just around the corner, Colette finds herself caught between her old life and the freedom for which she risked everything. Desperate to see her children, she enlists the help of Izzy, a housewife and mother of two, and the women forge a friendship that will send them on a spiralling journey - one toward a path of self-discovery, and the other toward tragedy.Brilliantly observed from a sharp new literary talent, The Coast Road is a novel about a closed community and the consequences of daring to move against the tide.

'As powerfully intimate as it is politically incendiary' VOGUE'Private Revolutions could be a Netflix series, for family, violence and romance abound' IRISH TIMES 'A portrait of China through four women who refused to accept the life laid out for them. Incredible' SUNDAY TIMES 'A revelatory, moving and tender tale of hopes, fears and change' PETER FRANKOPAN*A Sunday Times, Observer & BBC Highlight for 2024*This is a book about the coming of age of four women born in China in the 1980s and 1990s, in a society about to change beyond recognition.It is about Leiya, who wants to escape the fate of the women in her village. Still underage, she bluffs her way on to the factory floor. It is about June, who at fifteen sets what her family thinks is an impossible goal: to attend university rather than raise pigs. It is about Siyue, ranked second-to-bottom of her English class, who decides to prove her teachers wrong. And it is about Sam, who becomes convinced that the only way to change her country is to become an activist - even as the authorities slowly take her peers from the streets. With unprecedented access to the lives, hopes, homes, dreams and diaries of four ordinary women over a period of six years, Private Revolutions gives a voice to those whose stories go untold. At a time of rising state censorship and suppression, it unearths the identity of modern Chinese society - and, through the telling, something of our own.

THE SPECIAL 20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER'Devastating' Daily Telegraph'Heartbreaking' The Times'Unforgettable' Isabel Allende'Haunting' IndependentAfghanistan, 1975: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what will happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.

'Brilliantly empowering and truly life-changing ... a must-read for improving relationships.' Gwyneth Paltrow'Utterly fantastic. Read immediately' Claudia WinklemanWe all want to get on with people better. Consider this your personal toolkit to developing more productive and satisfying relationships in every aspect of your life.Do you long to have deeper, more meaningful connections with your loved ones? Do you want to resolve conflicts with friends and work effectively with colleagues? Having good relationships - from partners and family to your friends or colleagues - is the key to thriving. Research shows it impacts your health, well-being, financial security and happiness. But how do you get there?Leading psychologist Janet Reibstein shows you step by step how to 'learn' relationships, so you can make even the most difficult interaction a positive one. With case studies, practical advice and centred around four essential skills, Good Relations shows you how to harness healthy, successful relationships. You'll master how to communicate clearly, develop empathy and make crucial repairs when things go wrong.

This new account explores the most notorious pirates in history and how their rise and fall can be traced back to a single pirate haven, Nassau. Angus Konstam, one of the world's leading pirate experts, has brought his 30 years of research to create the definitive book on the Golden Age of Piracy. Many of the privateers the British had used to prey on French and Spanish shipping during the War of the Spanish Succession turned to piracy. The pirates took over Nassau on the Bahamian island of New Providence and turned it into their own pirate haven, where shady merchants were happy to buy their plunder. It became the hub of a pirate network that included some of the most notorious pirates in history: Blackbeard, "Calico Jack" Rackam, Charles Vane and Bartholomew Roberts. The growth of piracy led to a major surge in attacks in the Caribbean and along North America's Atlantic seaboard. With the fragile maritime economy of the Americas threatened with collapse, major ports were threatened and trade brought to a standstill, the British government finally declared war on the pirates. The Pirate Menace draws on extensive research, as well as a wide range of first-hand accounts, to produce a new history of the heyday of historical piracy.

'Beautiful and heartbreaking ... I absolutely loved it' Monica Ali, Sunday Times Bestselling author of Love Marriage'The whole, biographically inspired family drama tells of the greatest feelings we have: Love, anger, envy and grief' Meike Schnitzler, BrigitteMaria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria. When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army, Maria is left to provide for her family alone. Every day is a struggle against starvation, the harsh alpine climate and the hostile nearby villagers who see Maria as little more than a beautiful temptress out for the men left behind. But when a red-haired stranger arrives in the village, Maria feels happiness seep back into her life and she faces a choice whose consequences will affect the lives of her family for generations to come.Based on the internationally bestselling and award-winning Austrian novelist Monika Helfer's own family history, Last House Before the Mountain is a propulsive, haunting, multi-layered saga about love, family, and the hidden wages of war.

Taking us from the beginning of our story to the present day, A Cold Spell examines how ice has shaped our thoughts, actions and societies - and what it means for us that it is rapidly disappearing from our planet'Bracingly original . . . As the earth warms threateningly, there could hardly be a more pertinent time for a story like this' MICHAEL PALIN'A book of limitless fascinations' OLIVIA LAINGIce has confounded, delighted and fascinated us since the first sparks of art and culture in Europe and it now underpins the modern world. Without ice, we would not feed ourselves or heal our sick as we do, and our towns and cities, countryside and oceans would look very different. Science would not have progressed along the avenues it did and our galleries and libraries would be missing many masterpieces.A Cold Spell uses this vital link to understanding our past to tell a surprising story of obsession, invention and adventure - how we have lived and dreamed, celebrated and traded, innovated, loved and fought over thousands of years. It brings together a sacrificial Incan mummy, Winston Churchill's secret plans for unusual aircraft carriers, strange bones that shook Victorian beliefs about the world and a macabre journey into the depths of the human body. It is an original and unique way of looking at something that is literally all around us, whose loss confronts us daily in the news, but whose impact on our lives has never been fully explored.

Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has reshaped history. In the decades after the collapse of Soviet communism, the West convinced itself that liberal democracy would henceforth be the dominant, ultimately unique, system of governance. An outburst of Western triumphalism proclaimed a US-led unipolar world entitled to 'impose democracy' on countries that failed to recognise the new order. Politicians foretold the universalisation of Western values as the final, enduring form of human society, a hubris that shaped how the West would treat Russia for the next two decades. But history wasn't over. Subsequent events proved it is unwise to make predictions, especially about the future. In February 2022, Vladimir Putin took great delight in proving it. Putin is a paradox. In the early years of his presidency, he appeared to commit himself to friendship with the West, suggesting that Russia could join the European Union or even NATO. He said he supported free-market democracy and civil rights. But the Putin of those years is unrecognisable today. The Putin of the 2020s is an autocratic nationalist, dedicated to repression at home and anti-Western militarism abroad. So, what happened? Was he lying when he proclaimed his support for freedom, democracy and friendship with the West? Or, was he sincere? Did he change his views at some stage between then and now? And if that is the case, what happened to change him?Putin and the Return of History examines these questions in the context of Russia's thousand-year past, tracing the forces and the myths that have shaped Putin's politics of aggression: the enduring terror of encirclement by outsiders, the subjugation of the individual to the cause of the state, the collectivist values that allow the sacrifice of human lives in battle, the willingness to lie and deceive, the co-opting of religion and the belief in Great Russia's mission to change the world.