The eighth gripping adventure in David Gilman's critically acclaimed Master of War series set in fourteenth-century Europe.Bordeaux, 1367. Having angered the bloodthirsty Don Pedro, King of Castile, Sir Thomas Blackstone is thoroughly sick of his mission for the Prince of Wales, but must remain true to his oath.But this is the Hundred Years' War, and tensions are rising once more. With the Prince of Wales deeply unpopular in his Aquitainian lands, Blackstone, King Edward's Master of War, must return to French soil to help stem the tide of support for the King of France.Meanwhile, Henry, Blackstone's son, faces an incognito ride across France with his own motley band of outlaws and mercenaries. But the French are aware of the younger Blackstone's journey, and see a perfect way to target the Master of War…Reviews for David Gilman'A gripping ride' Wilbur Smith'Gilman does heart pounding action superlatively' The Times'A gripping chronicle of pitched battle, treachery and cruelty' Robert Fabbri'The level of suspense is ratcheted up to a truly brutal level' Sharon Penman Read more

The Sunday Times bestseller‘One of the most dramatic forgotten chapters of the war, as told in a new book by the incomparable Max Hastings’ DAILY MAILIn August 1942, beleaguered Malta was within weeks of surrender to the Axis, because its 300,000 people could no longer be fed. Churchill made a personal decision that at all costs, the ‘island fortress’ must be saved. This was not merely a matter of strategy, but of national prestige, when Britain’s fortunes and morale had fallen to their lowest ebb.The largest fleet the Royal Navy committed to any operation of the western war was assembled to escort fourteen fast merchantmen across a thousand of miles of sea defended by six hundred German and Italian aircraft, together with packs of U-boats and torpedo craft. The Mediterranean battles that ensued between 11 and 15 August were the most brutal of Britain’s war at sea, embracing four aircraft-carriers, two battleships, seven cruisers, scores of destroyers and smaller craft. The losses were appalling: defeat seemed to beckon.This is the saga Max Hastings unfolds in his first full length narrative of the Royal Navy, which he believes was the most successful of Britain’s wartime services. As always, he blends the ‘big picture’ of statesmen and admirals with human stories of German U-boat men, Italian torpedo-plane crews, Hurricane pilots, destroyer and merchant-ship captains, ordinary but extraordinary seamen.Operation Pedestal describes catastrophic ship sinkings, including that of the aircraft-carrier Eagle, together with struggles to rescue survivors and salvage stricken ships. Most moving of all is the story of the tanker Ohio, indispensable to Malta’s survival, victim of countless Axis attacks. In the last days of the battle, the ravaged hulk was kept under way only by two destroyers, lashed to her sides. Max Hastings describes this as one of the most extraordinary tales he has ever recounted. Until the very last hours, no participant on either side could tell what would be the outcome of an epic of wartime suspense and courage.Max Hastings's book 'Operation Biting' was a No.1 Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2024-05-27. Read more

'Eject! Eject!'   When the call is made to abandon an aircraft, it's only the beginning of the story...  From the Sunday Times bestselling writer John Nichol, author of Spitfire, Lancaster and Tornado, comes a brilliant new book that reveals the astonishing story of an invention that has saved many thousands of lives around the world, including his own: the ejection seat.   Nichol tells the remarkable tale of how the ejection seat was first conceived during the Second World War as countless lives were lost in accidents and in battle. In the wake of the war, that technological race to save aircrew lives using explosive seats continued at an incredible pace. Nichol tells the story of the brave men who risked their lives testing those early devices, and interviewed the first British pilot to eject back in 1949, when ejection, from pulling the handle to being under the parachute, took thirty seconds. Today, that figure is down to around one second.   Packed with interviews with aircrew who know exactly how it feels to ‘Bang Out’ from an aircraft at high speed, both in peace and in war, the book gives the reader a vivid sense of what that life-saving experience feels like, but also features the moving accounts of what happens next, from the viewpoint of both the crews and their families, who often have little or no information about whether or not their loved ones have survived.   Because ejecting is just the start of a journey…..  Packed with dramatic action, incredible science and moving recollections, Eject! Eject! is an essential read. Read more

PREORDER SIMON TURNEY'S THRILLING NEW ROMAN EMPIRE NOVEL, AGRICOLA: COMMANDER, NOW!The story of Agricola, one of Ancient Rome's most epic figures. A thrilling new historical adventure series by Simon Turney, critically acclaimed author of Legion XXII and Sons of Rome.58 AD, Rome. Agricola, teenage son of an impoverished yet distinguished noble family, has staked all his resources and reputation on a military career. His reward? A posting as tribune in the far-off northern province of Britannia. Serving under renowned general Suetonius Paulinus, Agricola soon learns the brutality of life on the very edges of the empire, for the Celtic tribes of Britannia are far from vanquished. To take control of the province, the Romans must defeat the ancient might of the druids - and the fury of the Iceni, warriors in their thousands led by a redoubtable queen named Boudicca...Reviews for Simon Turney'If you want gritty and utterly authentic edge of the seat Roman action, you should be reading Simon Turney.' Anthony Riches'A vivid, historically authentic Roman military thriller.' Alex Gough'Brings a whole new dimension to the genre.' Historical Novel Society'Brimming with tension, mystery and adventure!' Gordon Doherty'First-rate Roman fiction.' Matthew Harffy Read more

THE DEFINITIVE ACCOUNT OF THE FINAL CHAPTER OF WORLD WAR TWO IN EUROPE.‘A harrowing masterpiece of modern history.’ Sunday Express‘A vivid reminder of the misery that persisted across Europe long after the shooting stopped in 1945.’ Max Hastings, Daily Mail‘Stafford’s gripping and moving book . . . makes brilliant use of the individual stories of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events.’ The Sunday Times‘David Stafford weaves an often majestic tapestry of testimony.’ The Observer‘A seamless, urgent and richly textured history.’ Scotsman‘Superb but grim . . . Stafford brilliantly weaves his individual human stories into the wider picture.’ Sunday Telegraph‘Stafford skilfully provides a connecting framework for a narrative of almost Tolstoyan proportions . . . which only a writer of the first calibre, strongest nerve and monumental intellectual stamina could tackle.’ The Spectator‘In a magisterial account, David Stafford essentially closes the book on the cruel and chaotic last chapter of the war in Europe.’ News Star LouisianaWorld War Two did not end when the fighting stopped.In this compelling narrative, acclaimed historian David Stafford delves behind the dramatic headlines proclaiming victory to reveal the horrors and hardships of the war’s final days and aftermath.Drawing upon diaries, letters, and personal testimonies, he brilliantly interweaves the lives of ordinary people with the actions of military and political leaders. The result is a vivid evocation of a continent scarred and traumatized by a war whose effects continued long after the fighting stopped.READER PRAISE FOR ENDGAME 1945:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is a riveting, compelling read that is difficult to put down and stays with you long after you finish reading it.’ Cindy K.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This book is a textbook example of how to write a “personalized” history.’ Christopher S.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Plenty of information, much of which I'd not read before, linked with personal anecdotes making it a fascinating story.’ George⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A must read for all historians. To the point, not over dramatic but factual.’ Ed⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Without doubt the best book I have read on the subject.’ Dave Read more

The Sunday Times bestselling edge-of-your-seat exploration of what would happen in the event of nuclear war, perfect for readers of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.*Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2024*'Essential' New York Times'A stomach-clenching, multi-perspective, ticking-clock, geopolitical thriller' Forbes'Tells a terrifying story in a devastatingly straightforward way' GuardianNuclear war begins with a blip on a radar screen.This is a minute-by-minute account of what comes next.It has to be read to be believed.There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in a matter of hours: nuclear war.Until now, no one outside official circles has known exactly what would happen if a rogue state launched a nuclear missile at the Pentagon. Second by second and minute by minute, these are the real-life protocols that choreograph the end of civilization as we know it.Decisions that affect hundreds of millions of lives need to be made within six minutes, based on partial information, in the knowledge that once launched, nothing is capable of halting the destruction.Based on dozens of new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, been privy to the response plans, and taken responsibility for crucial decisions, this is the only account of what a nuclear exchange would look like.Nuclear War is at once a compulsive non-fiction thriller and a powerful argument that we must rid ourselves of these world-ending weapons for ever.'This terrifying book is a must-read for every world leader' Mother Jones'These are scenes straight out of Dr Strangelove' Telegraph'At once methodical and vivid' The Economist* A New York Times bestseller (March 2024) and a Sunday Times bestseller (April 2024) Read more

Discover who we are and how we got here in comedian David Mitchell's UNRULY: A History of England's Kings and Queens - a thoughtful, funny exploration of the entitled and enthroned.'JUST FANTASTIC. DELIGHTFULLY CONTRARY AND HILARIOUSLY CANTANKEROUS. VERY, VERY FUNNY' JESSE ARMSTRONG, CREATOR OF SUCCESSION AND PEEP SHOW'CLEVER, AMUSING, GLORIOUSLY BIZARRE AND RAZOR SHARP. MITCHELL - A FUNNY MAN AND A SKILLED HISTORIAN - TELLS STORIES THAT ARE INTERESTING AND FUN. HERE IS HORRIBLE HISTORIES FOR GROWNUPS' GERARD DEGROOT, THE TIMES'CLEVER, FUNNY, MAKES YOU THINK QUITE DIFFERENTLY ABOUT HISTORY' DAN SNOW, HISTORIAN AND BROADCASTER--------Think you know your kings and queens? Think again.In UNRULY, David Mitchell explores how England's monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects' destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky sods who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear today in their portraits.Taking us right back to King Arthur (spoiler: he didn't exist), David tells the founding story of post-Roman England right up to the reign of Elizabeth I (spoiler: she dies). It's a tale of narcissists, inadequate self-control, excessive beheadings, middle-management insurrection, uncivil wars, and at least one total Cnut, as the population evolved from having their crops nicked by the thug with the largest armed gang to bowing and paying taxes to a divinely anointed king.How this happened, who it happened to and why it matters in modern Britain are all questions David answers with brilliance, wit and the full erudition of a man who once studied history - and won't let it off the hook for the mess it's made.A funny book about a serious subject, UNRULY is for anyone who has ever wondered how we got here - and who is to blame.--------'Mitchell clearly knows his history, with a book that owes as much to Monty Python as it does to Simon Schama' ANDREW MARR, BROADCASTER'I don’t think anyone other than David Mitchell could have written this book. It’s clever, funny and makes you think quite differently about history we thought we knew' DAN SNOW, HISTORIAN AND BROADCASTER'Who knew a history of England's rulers could be this hilarious? A brilliantly entertaining romp through monarchs' i'By turns fascinating and funny - there is a jewel of an insight or a refreshing blast of clarifying wit on every page. David brings a delightfully contrary and hilariously cantankerous eye to the history of the English Monarchy. Informative, illuminating and very very funny' JESSE ARMSTRONG, CREATOR OF SUCCESSION AND PEEP SHOW'I can’t recommend this book enough. Very funny and interesting, it is above all a proper work of history' CHARLIE HIGSON*The Times Number One Bestseller October 2023* Read more

The Sunday Times bestselling edge-of-your-seat exploration of what would happen in the event of nuclear war, perfect for readers of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.*Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2024*'Essential' New York Times'A stomach-clenching, multi-perspective, ticking-clock, geopolitical thriller' Forbes'Tells a terrifying story in a devastatingly straightforward way' GuardianNuclear war begins with a blip on a radar screen.This is a minute-by-minute account of what comes next.It has to be read to be believed.There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in a matter of hours: nuclear war.Until now, no one outside official circles has known exactly what would happen if a rogue state launched a nuclear missile at the Pentagon. Second by second and minute by minute, these are the real-life protocols that choreograph the end of civilization as we know it.Decisions that affect hundreds of millions of lives need to be made within six minutes, based on partial information, in the knowledge that once launched, nothing is capable of halting the destruction.Based on dozens of new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, been privy to the response plans, and taken responsibility for crucial decisions, this is the only account of what a nuclear exchange would look like.Nuclear War is at once a compulsive non-fiction thriller and a powerful argument that we must rid ourselves of these world-ending weapons for ever.'This terrifying book is a must-read for every world leader' Mother Jones'These are scenes straight out of Dr Strangelove' Telegraph'At once methodical and vivid' The Economist* A New York Times bestseller (March 2024) and a Sunday Times bestseller (April 2024) Read more

SAS Great Escapes tells the story of seven of the most dramatic and daring escapes executed during WWII by what is arguably the world's most famous military fighting force - the SAS.With each story comes a nail-biting, rollercoaster ride in classic Damien Lewis style - readers join individual escapees and experience events through their own words, taken from contemporaneous diaries, mission reports, debriefings and letters - recapturing the most terrifying and exhilarating moments of their lives.These tales of almost unbelievable derring-do reveal the most desperate of times, when men were cornered by the enemy and were forced to fight their way out of certain death or capture. Around every corner, upon every decision and every movement lurked the possibility of discovery.If you enjoyed this, check out Damien Lewis' SAS: Great Escapes Two and SAS: Great Escapes Three for more gripping true stories. Read more

This sweeping history of thirteenth century England examines how the successive reigns of two very different kings established the English way of life.In 1204, the great Angevin Empire was fragmenting under King John’s rule. Unable to withstand France’s invasion of Normandy, John also faced difficult relations with the papacy, and rising dissent among his barons. By the time John died in 1216, the failed Magna Carta gave way to civil conflict, and more than half of the country had fallen to the dauphin of France. These troubles were then passed, along with the crown, to John’s nine-year-old son, Henry III. Even with a regency government commanding the ship of state, Henry faced a dire threat to his royal authority. But the First Baron’s War came to an end as Henry aligned himself with the pope and offered a revised Magna Carta. While this may have ensured short-term survival, living up to the promises of this foundational contract would create a more significant challenge—and lay the groundwork for the Second Baron’s War. Read more

The authoritative, epic history of the British colonisation of Australia.In 1787, the twenty-eighth year of the reign of King George III, the British Government sent a fleet to colonise Australia.Documenting the brutal transportation of men, women and children out of Georgian Britain into a horrific penal system which was to be the precursor to the Gulag and was the origin of Australia, The Fatal Shore is the definitive, masterfully written narrative that has given its true history to Australia.'A unique phantasmagoria of crime and punishment, which combines the shadowy terrors of Goya with the tumescent life of Dickens' Peter Ackroyd, The Times‘An enthralling account… brimming over with rare and pungent characters, and tales of pathos, bravery, and horror’ Peter Matthiessen, author of The Snow Leopard Read more