Derby 2025

Rarely named and frequently written out of history, the remarkable women of British intelligence finally receive the recognition they so richly deserve in this expertly researched narrative that will be a must-read for fans of military history.To the undiscerning eye, they were secretaries, typists, personal assistants, and telephonists. But those innocuous job titles provided the perfect cover for what were in reality a range of complex technical, clerical, and occupational roles. Often overlooked and underestimated by outsiders, the women of British intelligence encoded, decoded, and translated enemy messages, wrote propaganda, and oversaw agents, performing duties as diverse as they were indispensable.One of those women was Kathleen Pettigrew, super-secretary to three consecutive Chiefs of MI6, the secret foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, and widely regarded as the inspiration for author Ian Fleming’s Miss Moneypenny. Serving her country loyally for four decades, Kathleen amassed a formidable knowledge of people and events. From the surprise apprehension of World War I courtesan spy Mata Hari to the unmasking of MI6 officer Kim Philby, the ‘Third Man’ of the Cambridge spy ring, Kathleen created, organized, and archived an empire of top-secret information.Though most women toiled in offices and backrooms, there were also agent-runners and agents, prized for their ability to hide in plain sight. Drawing on extensive research and unique access to family archives, Claire portrays many of these remarkable figures—including the brilliant, multilingual Lunn sisters, glamorous spy Olga Gray, and Jane Sissmore, MI5’s first female officer—and reconsiders the priceless contributions they made.In a field where women were often assumed to be little more than window-dressing, Secret Servants of the Crown reveals their multi-faceted, essential roles, offering a powerful and compelling testament to their many accomplishments.

Xi Jinping rules over 1.4 billion people and the second-largest economy on earth. He commands huge armed forces and runs a technology programme meant to dominate the globe. His ambition is to take the place of the United States and to change the world order.Xi's life story is full of drama: plots, purges, murders, a power struggle and a pandemic. The book, based on new sources, leads the reader from the poor, isolated China of the 1950s to the modern economic and military juggernaut of today. It reveals how the Chinese elite groomed Xi as a manager only to get a dictator, a man who has made himself into a new version of Mao and who dares not give up power.The fresh material includes open-source Chinese coverage that the experts have missed, access to the papers of a deceased high official, information from personal friends of the Xi family and briefings from intelligence sources.

Fernande Olivier, Olga Khokhlova, Marie-Therese Walter, Dora Maar, Francoise Gilot, and Jacqueline Roque. These six extraordinary women shared Pablo Picasso's life and were instrumental in his career, yet they have long been dismissed as simply passive models or muses. Hidden Portraits reveals that their lives were — without exception — remarkable. All six were unconventional, independent and talented. All six were tested, both by Picasso's subterfuges and betrayals, and the wider social turbulence they lived through. The extent to which each influenced Picasso's art in major new directions has never been fully acknowledged.Sue Roe delves deeply into the truth of the women's experiences for the first time to tell the story of Picasso's women from their point of view. Her enthralling book spans seventy years, from Bohemian early-twentieth-century Montmartre to the glittering Riviera in the 1920s, through Paris under Nazi occupation and beyond Picasso's final years of seclusion.The result is a riveting, atmospheric read about six fascinating and charismatic women, outstanding in their own time, whose individual stories have up to now been glossed over or hidden from view.

Paul Sinton-Hewitt’s love for running was forged through a difficult childhood. It gave a young boy a sense of freedom and helped him build a life for himself. Years later, when he suffered a serious injury that held him back from competitive running, Paul felt he’d lost all purpose in life.That’s when he came up with a simple idea. He would start a weekly time trial run every Saturday morning in his local park. There would be no winners or losers. It would always be free, and Paul would be there every week—even on Christmas Day—whether or not anyone else came. Little did he know that from just thirteen runners on that first Saturday, parkrun grew into a 10 million-strong community across five continents. Twenty years on, parkrun continues to grow, bringing together people from all walks of life in search of health, happiness and community.This is the story of a simple idea that turned into a global movement. This is the story of parkrun, told for the very first time from the man who started it all. Filled with hope and optimism, One Small Step is a powerful affirmation of how coming together in simple ways can change our own lives and might even change the world.

It is the 60s and, just out of school, Edith finds herself travelling to rural Italy. She has been sent by her mother with strict instructions: to see her sister, ballet dancer Lydia, through the final weeks of her pregnancy, help at the birth and then make a phone call which will seal this baby’s fate, and his mother’s.Decades later, happily divorced and newly energized, Edith is living a life of contentment and comfort in Ireland. When her best friend Maebh receives a call from an American man claiming to be her brother, Maebh must decide if she will meet him, and she asks Edith for help.Ripeness by Sarah Moss is an extraordinary novel about familial love and the communities we create, about migration and new beginnings, and about what it is to have somewhere to belong.

Is this how democracy dies?The Coming Storm is Gabriel Gatehouse's exploration of the roots of QAnon and the rise of the extreme right in the US. It's a story that reaches back decades, showing how a dark fantasy embedded itself in the American consciousness, threatening to derail its democracy—and it continues to unfold today. Gatehouse's book takes you down a rabbit hole—one that both the US as a nation and he as a journalist fell through—to unpack an epochal shift in political culture that starts in the earliest years of the Clinton administration and reaches a crescendo on 6 January 2021 with the storming of the US Capitol. But that event wasn't the wild finale of a chaotic Trump presidency many hoped for—it was only the beginning.The Coming Storm shows a radical new kind of politics emerging, a movement that has coalesced around a loose alliance of white supremacists, men's rights activists, tech bros, and radically disenchanted leftists. As we approach the 2024 US presidential election, and perhaps the most perilous moment in the history of American democracy, Gatehouse's book tells us some dark truths about our present and provides clues about our future.Based on his podcast. A compelling mix of reportage and personal experience, The Coming Storm gets under the skin of these conspiracy theories. It marks the debut of a major new voice in political journalism.

Deciding if a prisoner should stay in prison or be released is no mean feat. Enter the fascinating world of the parole board with Rob McKeon of BBC’s Parole. You don’t know what you don’t know. How can you predict the future when you don’t know what you don’t know? Rob McKeon is a member of Britain’s parole board, making tough, life-changing decisions about whether a prisoner is safe to return to society, impacting not only prisoners and their victims but also the general public. This vital work has been the subject of a BBC television documentary, Parole. For 12 years, Rob has been handling sensitive and high-profile cases, dealing with the social, moral, and emotional pressures that come with this difficult job. This book provides unique insight into his work, with a compelling behind-the-scenes look at parole hearings.

Just days after Raynor Winn learns that Moth, her husband of thirty-two years, is terminally ill, their house and farm are taken away, along with their livelihood. With nothing left and little time, they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the sea-swept South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, through Devon and Cornwall.Carrying only the essentials for survival on their backs, they live wild in the ancient, weathered landscape of cliffs, sea, and sky. Yet through every step, every encounter, and every test along the way, their walk becomes a remarkable and life-affirming journey.Powerfully written and unflinchingly honest, The Salt Path is ultimately a portrayal of home — how it can be lost, rebuilt, and rediscovered in the most unexpected ways.The true story of a couple who lost everything and embarked on a transformative journey walking the South West Coast Path in England.EndorsementsShortlisted for the Costa Book Award.

Joe Tucker’s Uncle Eric was a beloved yet unconventional figure throughout Joe’s life. A shambolically dressed man who lived with his mother for almost eighty years, he had an almost compulsive need to charm strangers with working men’s club comedy routines, and appeared to exist only for daily trips to the bookie — yet had also amassed over five hundred of his own remarkable paintings without anyone ever realising his achievements.Towards the end of his life, Eric requested an exhibition of his work. As Joe and his family sorted through hundreds of paintings of street scenes, circus and theatre performers, and busy pubs, they began to ask more questions about Eric’s life: why had this fanatically sociable man never left his mother’s home? Had Eric ever experienced love when he painted it so beautifully? And what had driven him to create so much, yet share it so rarely?In this touching, funny and thoughtful investigation of the nature of expression, the ownership of art and the secret life of those nearest to us, Joe Tucker brings us into his uncle’s extraordinary and compelling world. Perhaps more importantly, he also brings Eric Tucker’s life’s work into ours.

‘Elizabeth was king, Then James was queen.’ — English author (1603)James Stuart, King of England, Scotland, and Ireland did not always love wisely, but he never failed to do so boldly.He fell in love three times – with a Scottish lord, a knight and George Villiers, ‘the handsomest man in the whole world’. He was infatuated three more times – with a Highland earl, a Welsh lord and an English spy.This groundbreaking new book puts James – genius, liar, spendthrift, idealist, witch-hunter – and the men he loved at the centre of one of the most dramatic stories in British royal history.Beginning with the brutal and mysterious murder of his father in 1567, James’s life encompassed kidnapping, witchcraft trials, torture, his mother’s beheading, poison, political radicalism, religious fundamentalism, a queen’s alleged abortion, passionate sex, strong love, stronger hate, espionage, brothels, and a decade-long love affair that ended in assassination.Retold in Gareth Russell’s Queen James with scholarship, biographical insight and wit.We know so much about the six wives of Henry VIII, why not the six loves of James I? It is unquestionably one of the most gripping stories in British history.Endorsements‘James comes alive in full flamboyance … Russell expertly weaves the bedchamber gossip into the tapestry of a tumultuous reign’ — Sunday Times‘Brings the backbiting and power struggles of the Jacobean court to life with wit and vigour’ — Observer‘A warts and all story told with compassion’ — Philippa Gregory‘Books like this don't come along very often. Told with Gareth Russell's characteristic verve and exquisite eye for detail, it is a story so compelling and surprising that it feels as if it has been hiding in plain sight for 400 years. A stunning achievement and a must for history fans everywhere’ — Tracy Borman

This is the astonishing story of the ten million books that US intelligence smuggled across the Iron Curtain during the Cold War.From copies of Orwell to Agatha Christie, the Western effort was to undermine the censorship of the Soviet bloc, offer different visions of thought and culture to the people, and build relationships with real readers in the East.Historian Charlie English follows the characters of the era, with Bucharest-born George Minden at the narrative’s heart. Tasked with masterminding the effort, Minden understood both sides: he was opposed to the intellectual straitjacket created by the communist system, but he also resented the Americans’ patronising tone — the people weren’t fooled by what their puppet governments were saying, but they did need culture, diversity of thought, entertainment, art, reassurance and solidarity. This is how the perilous mission to bring books as beacons of hope played out, told in riveting detail.

It is generally accepted that Queen Victoria reigned but did not rule. This couldn’t be more wrong. In Queen Victoria and Her Prime Ministers, Anne Somerset masterfully traces Victoria’s political evolution, from headstrong teenager to seasoned octogenarian. This book demonstrates her passionate involvement in state affairs, and casts fresh light on her relationships with her ten prime ministers.Victoria herself acknowledged that when it came to ‘likes and dislikes’ of her prime ministers, ‘she had them very strongly’. She showed girlish adoration for her first Prime Minister, the worldly-wise Lord Melbourne, whose delightful conversation and kindly guidance enchanted her. Later in her reign, Benjamin Disraeli – who flattered her shamelessly, tirelessly praising her sagacity and judgement and filling her life with ‘poetry, romance and chivalry’ – became her favourite.While she developed a powerful bond with several of her Prime Ministers, in other cases the relationship fell little short of mutual detestation. Victoria’s keenest antipathy was reserved for Disraeli’s great rival, the Liberal William Gladstone. When he became Prime Minister for a fourth time at the age of 82, Victoria declared it ‘a bad joke’ that this ‘dangerous old fanatic’ should be ‘thrust down her throat’.Queen Victoria and Her Prime Ministers charts the bitter clashes and affectionate interactions Victoria had with her ten premiers in often hilarious detail. Drawing extensively on unpublished sources such as material from the Royal Archives and never-before-seen prime ministerial papers, it casts a fresh and highly illuminating perspective not just on Victoria, but on the exceptionally able politicians who served her in government.

In a quaint village in the Peak District, murder is brewing…Violet Brewster is settling into the quiet life in Merrywell. The last thing she needs is to get mixed up in a police investigation…When a snazzy tearoom opens at the local garden centre on Bluebell Hill, residents flock to visit the establishment. But not everyone is happy about the new business venture…Matters escalate when the owner of the tearoom is found dead on the premises. As Violet unwittingly finds herself at the centre of another murder mystery, can she shift suspicion away from those closest to her and find the true culprit?Endorsements'Clear your diaries for another marvellous Merrywell mystery!' — Clare Chase'An entertaining and engaging cozy mystery set against a beautiful backdrop.' — Clare Chase'A thoroughly enjoyable and suspenseful story.' — Daily Mail'Jane Bettany delivers cosy with a dash of sass – thoroughly enjoyable and utterly irresistible.' — Peter Boland'A murder mystery with a blossoming romance … what more could one ask for? Delicious!' — Katie Gayle'Completely compelling from the get-go, I didn’t want to put it down! Brilliant cosy mystery at its most charming best.' — Jonathan Whitelaw'A perfect cosy mystery with an engaging cast of characters and a beautifully drawn setting.' — Roz Watkins'If you love cozy crime/mystery books then you will not be disappointed… A book to put to the top of your ‘must read now’ pile!' — C.L. Peache

Seeing the hills, the crofts, villages and ruins only tells half the story. The people who worked, walked, lived and died here are the other half.Postal paths span the length and breadth of Britain — from the furthest corners of the Outer Hebrides to the isolated communities clinging to the cliffs of the Rame Peninsula in south-east Cornwall. As far back as the 1660s, postmen and women have been moulding and forging paths to deliver posts to homes across Britain, no matter how remote.A chance remark by a farmer about a Postman's Path led Alan Cleaver on a quest to discover more about this network of lanes, shortcuts and footpaths in the British landscape. What he found, through his walks, conversations and painstaking research, was more than just beautiful scenery. It was an incredible, forgotten slice of social history — the remarkable tales and toil of rural postmen and women trudging down lanes, over fields, and even across rivers to make sure the post always came on time.From women like Hannah Knowles, who began delivering letters in 1912 and missed only three days through illness over the next 62 years of service, to WWI veteran Matt Bendelow, who managed his 9-mile delivery route on one leg, Postal Paths paints a vivid picture of the people who not only served their communities but, more often than not, built them.Postal Paths is a journey through Britain's past — and its future.

Five brave heroes. One epic quest.When Blossom the unicorn accidentally traps Tiddlywink the pixie in an ancient puzzle cube, the heroes of the Super Happy Magic Forest must journey to the Distant Desert to find a way to free him.A really funny read for 7+.Perfect for fans of Dog Man and Captain Underpants.

It begins with Thomas, the son of a Suffolk tradesman, a brilliant boy sent to study at Oxford at the tender age of eleven.It ends with a disgraced Cardinal, cast from the King's side and estranged from those he loves.In her groundbreaking new novel, Alison Weir draws out the inner man for the first time and tells his story. It is one of a scholar, a lover and a father, a rival, a politician and a priest. A man who built an empire in England while leading a secret second life, who paid the highest price for his success.These many faces of Thomas Wolsey chart his incredible rise and tragic fall, and reveal a tale of power, passion and ambition. By turns riveting and surprising, this is Wolsey as you've never seen him before.Step into the thrill and intrigue of Tudor England in the rich, compelling new novel and witness the rise and fall of Cardinal Wolsey.Endorsements"Alison Weir makes history come alive as no one else" — Barbara ErskineSunday Times bestseller Alison Weir

This puzzle mystery takes stage magician sleuth Joseph Spector to a grand estate in the English countryside.Victor Silvius has spent nine years as an inmate at The Grange, a private sanatorium, for the crime of attacking judge Sir Giles Drury. Now the judge’s wife, Lady Elspeth Drury, believes that Silvius is responsible for a series of threatening letters her husband has recently received. Eager to avoid the scandal that would result from involving the local police, Lady Elspeth seeks out retired stage magician Joseph Spector, whose discreet involvement in a case Sir Giles recently presided over greatly impressed her.Meanwhile, Miss Caroline Silvius is disturbed after a recent visit to her brother Victor, convinced that he isn’t safe at The Grange. Someone is trying to kill him, and she suspects the judge, who has already made Silvius’ life a living hell, may be behind it. Caroline hires Inspector George Flint of Scotland Yard to investigate.The two cases collide at Marchbanks, the Drury family seat of over four hundred years, where a series of unnerving events interrupt the peace and quiet of the snowy countryside. A body is discovered in the middle of a frozen pond without any means of getting there, and a rifle is fired through a closed window, killing a man but not breaking the glass. Only Spector and his mastery of the art of misdirection can uncover the logical explanations for these impossible crimes.An atmospheric and puzzling traditional mystery that pays homage to the greatest writers of the genre’s Golden Age.Endorsements“A recipe for pure nostalgic pleasure.” — Wall Street Journal

The Super Happy Magic Forest heroes are called on another quest, this time to save the merfolk of Fishopolis.

Sadie's been adrift, looking for an escape from her new house and old memories, when a chance encounter leads her to one of the most exclusive wellness classes in LA.At first she's sceptical, but the classes - and the attention of its magnetic leader, Lilith - are transformative, other-worldly, completely addictive.No one in Sadie's life understands that Deep Flow isn't a cult, but a community. One that offers the chance to feel powerful in her own body again, maybe even a way to finally let go of her past.But when the sisterhood, and Sadie's place within it, comes under threat, the hidden cost of being part of Lilith's inner circle becomes clear.What would Sadie risk to prove her loyalty?Anything can be dangerous in the wrong hands. A searing look at power and exploitation in the wellness industry, False Idols is an unflinching, compulsive thriller by a captivating new voice in fiction — perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and Emma Cline.Endorsements“A moving and entertaining book about the desperation to heal and belong, and the dangerous places shame can lead you to.” — Charlotte Paradise, author of Overspill

Nobody knows she's checked into Room 706.Caught in the wrong place at precisely the worst time, Kate must face the most confronting situation of her life — and discover what matters most — in this deeply suspenseful and thought-provoking debut novel.If she knew it would end this way, would it ever have begun?Kate stretches her legs and turns on the TV while James washes away the traces of their morning. She watches in horror as the hotel they are staying in is taken under siege.She should be making her way home, working on appearing normal, getting ready to re-enter family life with her loving husband Vic and their two adored children. Instead, she is trapped somewhere she shouldn't be, with a man she definitely doesn't love.How will she begin to tell Vic what she is doing here? If her body is found, will it give up the secret of what she's been up to? She's been so careful, hiding the evidence — write nothing down, leave no trace. Will he begin to understand why?For now, Kate can only hide, take a deep breath, and reflect on the series of choices she's made that have brought her to this moment.What will her marriage and her life look like if she makes it out?Discover the most gripping and original novel you'll read this year, from an incredible new talent in fiction.Endorsements"Poignant, immersive, and utterly human, I adored Room 706." — Sarah Jessica Parker

Spring is the time of renewal and rebirth, a celebration of the resilience of life. As the year turns, animals and plants that have struggled to survive the winter find new hope and create the next generation. The season has inspired some of humanity's greatest art and many of its most significant religious festivals.Now, in Spring is the Only Season, Simon Barnes provides a fresh and compelling look at this period of the year. He explains the science of the seasons, which are caused by the planet's 23.5 degree tilt; he also highlights the music, the paintings and the poetry that have tried to capture it. Packed with fascinating insights, remarkable facts and key stories, the book is a vivid and multi-faceted portrait of spring.However, while the Earth will continue to spin on its tilting axis, he reveals how our impact on the planet is beginning to destroy the natural course of the seasons, and that elements of the beloved spring – from migrating birds to emerging butterflies – are endangered by climate change. But it's not too late. Not yet. We can still make a difference and so continue to enjoy the pleasures of spring.Endorsements'A book that filled me from first to last with a rapture as transcendent and thrilling as that which spring yearly provides ... I absolutely adored it!' — Stephen Fry'As dynamic and ebullient as the season it celebrates ... There is no one I'd rather spring into spring with than Simon Barnes' — Kate Humble'An endlessly illuminating love letter to the most beguiling of the seasons' — Lee Schofield, author of the award-winning Wild Fell

It’s 1780. Daniel and his sister, Pearl, arrive in London with the world at their feet and their future assured. Having escaped a Jamaican sugar plantation, Daniel fought for the British in the American War of Independence and was rewarded with freedom and an inheritance.But the city is not a place for men like Daniel, and he is callously tricked and finds himself, along with his sister Pearl, in the rookeries of St Giles — a warren of dark and menacing alleyways, filled with violence and poverty.The underworld labyrinth is run by Elias, a man whose cruelty knows no bounds. But under his dangerous rule is a brotherhood of Black men, the Blackbirds of St Giles, whose intention is to set their people free.Can Daniel use his strength, wit, and the fellowship of the other Blackbirds to overthrow Elias and truly find the freedom he fought for?Some things are earned. Some things are worth fighting for…

‘I want to learn every single way possible to love our planet. And to do this wholeheartedly, energetically and joyfully.’Isabel doesn’t dwell on the problems; she gets straight to the solutions, showing every single way we can take care of the planet: how we live and work, travel, shop, eat, drink, dress, vote, play, volunteer, bank—everything.Isabel Losada is the bestselling author of six previous books including The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment.Finally! A book about saving our planet that is fast, funny and inspiring too. The feel-good book of the year for anyone who loves nature and knows that one person can make a huge difference.Endorsements‘This is the joy we need in our lives.’ — George Monbiot‘She gave my spirit a lift and my feet somewhere to stand.’ — Sir Mark Rylance‘Practical and realistic as well as visionary.’ — Dr Rowan Williams‘A manifesto of brilliant advice offered with humility and good grace. A practical guide to empower us all.’ — Isabella Tree

David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts relive the compelling story of a gripping Ashes-deciding Test match that heralded a new era for English cricket.The Ashes are on the line as England and Australia meet at Old Trafford in July 1961 for the fourth Test. For most of the match, England have their noses ahead — until a dramatic final day, of intensely fluctuating fortunes, as the tourists eventually storm to victory. In short, an Ashes classic, told here by David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts in vivid and immersive detail, recreating the sometimes agonising experience of millions of armchair viewers and listeners.At the heart of Richie Benaud's Blue Suede Shoes are two strikingly contrasting figures: England's captain, the Cambridge-educated, risk-averse, establishment-minded Peter May; and Australia's captain, the charismatic, risk-taking, open-minded Richie Benaud — a contrast not only between two individuals but between two cricketing, and indeed national, cultures. Whereas Benaud and Australia symbolised a new, meritocratic era, May and England seemed, in what was still an amateur-dominated game, to look back to an old imperial legacy out of sync with the dawning Sixties.The sharply observed final chapters take the story up to the present day. They relate the 'after-lives' of the match's key participants, including Ted Dexter, Bill Lawry and Fred Trueman as well as May and Benaud; trace the continuing chequered relationship between English cricket and broader social change; and, after six more decades of fierce Ashes rivalry, wrestle with the perennial conundrum for all England supporters — why do the baggy green caps usually beat us?

'In front of me is an adventure with old age as my companion, my shadow and confederate, maybe my friend.' Old age is a country, and we need to learn to walk through it. And that's just what Roger Clough, former Professor of Social Care, lifelong hill walker, and current resident of 'Oldenland' spends his time doing. Where he used to study the terrain of ageing like a scientist, now he understands it as a farmer might, walking its contours every day from his retirement village in the Peak District, while still negotiating the physical peaks and troughs of the area.Whilst there are a lot of books that cover the topic of 'how to have a good death', there is little that offers us advice on the time period that comes before that. How do we learn to actually be old? How do we spend our later years in a meaningful way that makes sense of who we've been and who we are now? Not in blithely positive denial in the face of our physical and cognitive decline, or overtaken with regret of a life that's running down the clock, but empowered to not lose who we are; to say 'I am still me'. And, if we have not yet arrived at its borders, how can we better understand those who live there, and better prepare ourselves for a future when we will become citizens too?Written over 25 years and innumerable journeys, Oldenland is a unique and moving companion to the experiences of old age, and how to make it count.

Vera Brittain is one of the twentieth century's most significant feminist and pacifist figures. Testament of Lost Youth is the first book to examine Vera's cossetted middle-class upbringing in once-fashionable Buxton, between 1905 and 1915. She condemned her 'provincial young ladyhood' with remorseless fervour, but were her criticisms justified, or is there a more complex, nuanced story?Drawing on Vera's own diary, letters, and a wealth of historical sources, Kathryn Ecclestone uncovers the hidden layers of Vera's privileged early life. Her book challenges traditional portrayals to shed new light on the unique social atmosphere of Edwardian Buxton, Vera's schooling and experience of university, her family, social, and love life, before a harrowing journey through the First World War, during which she lost her fiancé, adored brother, and many friends and acquaintances.From her intellectual awakening to her battles against societal constraints, this book, filled with images of Vera and her family, presents a nuanced exploration of a remarkable woman, revealing how her early life shaped and inspired the icon the world came to know.

Nothing works in Britain. It’s harder than ever to get a GP appointment. Burglaries go unpunished. Wages have been stagnant for years, even as the cost of housing rises inexorably. Why is everything going wrong at the same time?It's easy to point the finger at dysfunctional or even corrupt politicians. But in reality it’s more complicated. Politicians can make things better or worse, but all work within our state institutions. And ours are irrevocably broken and outmoded.In Failed State, respected political analyst Sam Freedman offers a devastating analysis of where we’ve gone wrong. Speaking to politicians of all stripes, civil servants, workers on the frontline and key thinkers across the world, this book bursts with insight on the real problems that are so often hidden from the front pages.The result is a witty, landmark book that paves the way for a fairer and more prosperous Britain.

The town was once a hub of industry. A place where men toiled underground in darkness, picking and shovelling in the dust and the sleck. It was dangerous and back-breaking work but it meant something. Once, the town provided; it was important and had purpose. But what is it now? Brothers Alex and Brian have spent their whole life in the town where their father lived and his father, too. Still reeling from the collapse of his personal life, Alex is now in his middle age and must reckon with a part of his identity he has long tried to mask. Simon, the only child of Alex, had practically no memory of the mines. Now in his twenties and working in a call centre, he derives passion from his side hustle in sex work and his weekly drag gigs. Set across three generations of a South Yorkshire mining family, Andrew McMillan's short and magnificent debut novel is a lament for a lost way of life as well as a celebration of resilience and the possibility for change.

British Rail wasn't how we're asked to remember it... From ancient rolling stock to patchy service, stale sandwiches to the wrong kind of snow, British Rail — our last great state-owned organisation to be privatised — has received a terrible press. But after its controversial 1948 creation, British Rail was actually an innovative powerhouse that, over five decades, transformed the UK, creating one of the fastest regular rail services in the world. Award-winning journalist Christian Wolmar takes us from promise to punchline, exploring British Rail's birth into post-war austerity, the many battles and struggles to evolve what many considered to be a dinosaur, and how, at the height of its success, the service was misunderstood and unfairly maligned, ruthlessly broken up and privatised.The authoritative and fascinating history of the rise and fall of the state-owned British RailEndorsements'Wolmar's book is impeccably organised and makes a fast, enjoyable read' — The Times Literary Supplement'Wolmar is the high priest of railway studies' — Literary Review'The greatest expert on British trains' — The Guardian'Our most eminent transport journalist' — The Spectator'If the world's railways have a laureate, it is surely Christian Wolmar' — Boston Globe'Christian Wolmar is in love with the railways. He writes constantly and passionately about them. He is their wisest, most detailed historian and a constant prophet of their rebirth . . . if you love the hum of the wheels and of history, then Christian Wolmar is your man' — Observer

Imagine you could hold a baby hare and bottle-feed it. Imagine that it lived under your roof and lolloped around your bedroom at night, drumming on the duvet cover when it wanted your attention. Imagine that, over two years later, it still ran in from the fields when you called it and snoozed in your house for hours on end. This happened to me.When lockdown led busy professional Chloe to leave the city and return to the countryside of her childhood, she never expected to find herself the custodian of a newborn hare. Yet when she finds the creature, endangered, alone and no bigger than her palm, she is compelled to give it a chance at survival.Raising Hare chronicles their journey together and the challenges of caring for the leveret and preparing for its return to the wild. We witness an extraordinary relationship between human and animal, rekindling our sense of awe towards nature and wildlife.This improbable bond of trust serves to remind us that the most remarkable experiences, inspiring the most hope, often arise when we least expect them.

Ah, Britain. So special. The greatest nation on earth, some say. And we did it all on our own. Didn’t we?Well, as it happens Britannia got its name from the Romans, and for the past two centuries we have been ruled by Germans. But then, as Horrible Histories author Terry Deary argues, nations and their leaders are defined by the enemies they make.The surprisingly sadistic Boudica would be forgotten if it weren't for the Ninth Legion, Elizabeth I a minor royal without the Spanish Armada, and Churchill an opposition windbag without the Nazis. Britain loves its heroes so much we have been known to pickle them in brandy to keep them fresh. And after all, every nation sometimes needs a bit of unifying Blitz spirit (although in an ideal world, we wouldn’t have accidentally let Corporal Hitler go in the first place).The British have a proud history of choosing their enemies, from the Romans to the Germans. You might even say those enemies made Britain what it is today...A History of Britain in Ten Enemies is an entertaining gallop through history that will have you laughing as you find out what they didn't teach you in school.

The dragons are gone, and the kingdoms are falling. Not even the gods can save them now…Arla Reinhart, personal assassin to the King of Hadalyn, doesn’t believe in the gods and their dragons who once served the people – not after they abandoned her when she needed them most. But when shipments start going missing and the kingdoms begin to crumble, they may be the only ones who can help.Forced into working with the arrogant — yet unmistakably handsome — ambassador of the kingdom that killed her parents, Arla must place her hatred for Hark Stappen to one side as they journey across kingdoms, dining with royalty and fighting in taverns, and make an alarming discovery that shatters her heart and forces her to question everything — and everyone — she knows…What to expect from Dragonhart:Enemies to lovers; forced proximity; FMC seeking revenge; dragons; magic.For fans of Sarah A. Parker and Rebecca Yarros. Fans of Fourth Wing and When the Moon Hatched.

Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best.Then one of them is murdered.It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen.We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes The Raven Scholar, a masterfully woven and playfully inventive tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth.

There exists a nearly invisible, awe-inspiring global system of manufacturing that enables virtually every aspect of our existence. The things we surround ourselves with take surprising and often byzantine journeys to reach us — be it the thousands of litres of water needed to make a single pair of jeans or the components of our smartphones travelling over six times around the world to reach us.From mega-factory floors, engineering laboratories and seaports to distribution hubs, supermarkets and our own homes, Tim Minshall traces these journeys to reveal the hidden world of manufacturing.Charting how this world came to be, Your Life is Manufactured reveals the seismic impact manufacturing has had on our lives and the natural world, exploring how it could offer us a path to a truly sustainable, more equitable future. In doing so, Minshall grants us the ability to make better choices for ourselves, our communities and the planet.From an award-winning and internationally renowned expert, a wonderfully illuminating journey through the world of manufacturing and its transformational influence on our lives and the world around us. We live in a manufactured world. Unless you are floating naked through space, you are right now in direct contact with multiple manufactured products. How often do we stop to ask where the things we buy actually come from?Endorsements"Revelatory." — The Sunday Times"Fascinating." — The Times"Well-observed and enjoyably written." — Financial Times"An extraordinarily good read." — Professor David Spiegelhalter, author of The Art of Statistics"An illuminating and at times mind-boggling exploration of a global choreography that means I won't look at my kettle the same way again." — Zoe Laughlin, presenter of BBC Four's How to Make"This brilliant book shows that manufacturing is foundational to our lives, not only now but also if there is to be any hope for a sustainable future. I learned something new on every page." — Professor Diane Coyle, author of Cogs and Monsters"Reading this book is like being given a personal tour of the world's factories by a real-life Willy Wonka. Brimming with insight, curiosity and wit, Tim is a masterful storyteller of the manufactured world." — Dr Anna Ploszajski, author of A Scientist's Search for Meaning Through Making

As people, we are capable of both love and hate; amazement and disgust; fun and misery. So why do we live in a world that is constantly telling us to hate, both ourselves and others?We are told to be repulsed by our own bodies, bodies that let us laugh and sweat and eat toast; to be ashamed of pleasure; to be embarrassed by fun.In this collection, Hollie McNish brings her inimitable style to the question of what we have been taught to hate, and if we might learn to love again.A brand-new collection from the award-winning poet. This book is written out of both hate and love for the world.Endorsements'Funny, so smart and refreshingly honest' — Sarah Millican'Hollie McNish's words always sweep me away' — Giovanna Fletcher'Never have we needed her more' — Stylist'I've loved her work for years' — Jo Brand'She writes with honesty, conviction, humour and love' — Kae Tempest

In all failed relationships there is a point that passes unnoticed at the time, which can later be identified as the beginning of the decline. For Helen it was the weekend that the Hidden Man came to Westbury Park.Croydon, 1964. Helen Hansford is in her thirties and an art therapist in a psychiatric hospital where she has been having a long love affair with a charismatic, married doctor.One spring afternoon they receive a call about a disturbance from a derelict house not far from Helen's home. A thirty-seven-year-old man called William Tapping, with a beard down to his waist, has been discovered along with his elderly aunt. It is clear he has been shut up in the house for decades, but when it emerges that William is a talented artist, Helen is determined to discover his story.Shy Creatures is a life-affirming novel about all the different ways we can be confined, how ordinary lives are built of delicate layers of experience, the joy of freedom and the transformative power of kindness.