'Fascinating' TOM HOLLAND | 'A delight from start to finish' MIRANDA SAWYER'A novel and fascinating perspective on world history' BILL BRYSON'By turns surprising, funny, bleak, ridiculous, or all four of those at once' GIDEON DEFOE'Elledge writes with wry humour and infectious enthusiasm' OBSERVERPeople have been drawing lines on maps for as long as there have been maps to draw on. Sometimes rooted in physical geography, sometimes entirely arbitrary, these lines might often have looked very different if a war or treaty or the decisions of a handful of tired Europeans had gone a different way. By telling the stories of these borders, we can learn a lot about how political identities are shaped, why the world looks the way it does - and about the scale of human folly.From the Roman attempts to define the boundaries of civilisation, to the secret British-French agreement to carve up the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, to the reason why landlocked Bolivia still maintains a navy, this is a fascinating, witty and surprising look at the history of the world told through its borders.More endorsements for 47 BORDERS: 'Fascinating and hugely entertaining' MARINA HYDE 'You'll never look at a map the same way again' STEPHEN BUSH '[A] clever, confounding history' PATRICK MAGUIRE'A witty grand tour' DORIAN LYNSKEY 'Warm, funny and sharply political' PHIL TINLINEIn the press:'[A] sprightly telling' New Statesman'Open and inviting' History Today'Wonderfully nerdy - and at times shocking' Byline Times'A diverting and informative read' theartsdesk.com Read more

A remarkable account of the moving and sometimes astonishing ways animals have enriched our lives, from national treasure Martin Clunes----Guide-dog Laura needed a new home. And, after listening to her owner, Jaina, talk on the radio about what would happen to her much-loved guide and companion when she retired, Martin Clunes picked up the phone. He’d always been a soft touch when it came to animals. One more couldn’t hurt.Adopting Laura opened his eyes to the extraordinary care provided by assistance dogs, but also piqued his curiosity. Throughout history, our meetings with remarkable animals have eased, enriched, and sometimes saved our lives in countless and surprising ways.Our canine friends have guided us, rescued us, led us, protected us and even given early warning of illness, but dogs are only part of the story. From the horses that went to war with the Light Brigade, to the mine-clearing Gambian Pouched Rat called Courage that helped make the peace, and from the pigeons carrying life-saving messages to the wild dolphin called Jock who befriended a traumatised young woman in Australia, in peace and war animals have always been there for us.Together with his own life-changing encounters with animals around the world, Martin has celebrated the intelligence, loyalty, and companionship of some truly extraordinary creatures whose lives have been entwined with our own.By turns heart-warming, inspiring and always fascinating, Meetings With Remarkable Animals gives us a chance to meet them too. Read more

“Sunrise on the Reaping is a propulsive, heart-wrenching addition to The Hunger Games, adding welcome texture to the cruel world of Panem ... This is the project of dystopian fiction: to shine a light in tyranny's greasiest corners and show how people — ordinary, determined human beings — might take it apart” - New York Times“Collins is an excellent writer, and there are moments of surprising lyricism ... Sunrise on the Reaping contains enough both to snare new readers and to satisfy the most bloodthirsty fan” - Guardian When you've been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for? As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honour of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town.As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.Four books, five films and one worldwide phenomenon, The Hunger Games original trilogy changed the face of global YA and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was an instant number one bestseller (Nielsen Bookscan, May 2020).All four of the Hunger Games novels have been made into major feature films, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth and Peter Dinklage.A feature film for Sunrise On the Reaping -  the fifth book in the Hunger Games series  - is slated for November 2026 OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIESThe Hunger GamesThe Hunger Games illustrated edition released in October 2024Catching FireMockingjayThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes  Read more

THE REST IS HISTORY CLUB BOOK OF THE MONTH 'One of the most engaging and fascinating histories of Europe I've read for years.' DOMINIC SANDBROOK'Highly original and insightful' PD SMITH, GUARDIAN'Thrillingly unique, knowledgeable, perceptive and profound' IAN DUNTThe history of Europe told through twenty-nine key borders that define the past, present and future of our continentEurope's internal borders have rarely been 'natural'; they have more often been created by accident or force.In Borderlines, political historian Lewis Baston journeys along twenty-nine key borders from west to east Europe, examining how the map of our continent has been redrawn over the last century, with varying degrees of success. The fingerprints of Napoleon, Alexander I, Castlereagh, Napoleon III and Bismarck are all there, but today's map of Europe is mostly the work of the Allies in 1919 and Stalin in 1945.To journey to the centre of the story of Europe, Baston takes us to its edges, bringing to life the fascinating and often bizarre histories of these border zones. We visit Baarle, the town broken into thirty fragments by the Netherland-Belgium border, and stop in Ostritz, the eastern German town where Nazis held a rock festival. We meander the back lanes of rural Ireland, and soak up the atmosphere in the coffee houses of the Ukrainian city of Chernivtsi. Through these borderlands, Baston explores how places and people heal from the scars left by a Europe of ethnic cleansing and barbed wire fences, and he searches for a better European future - finding it in unexpected places.'An eye-opening read that combines Baston's travels along Europe's fault lines with incredible insights on how they got there in the first place.' KATJA HOYER'Beautiful. A true gem... [his] unique take on human nature through the history and heritage of the borderlands ends up being deeply moving.' - IRISH INDEPENDENT'Extraordinarily perceptive and original' ANTHONY SELDON'Refreshing and important' RAFAEL BEHR Read more

'The First World War from a refreshingly unfamiliar angle . . . masterly' Dominic Sandbrook, Sunday Times 'Compelling . . . The Eastern Front is essential reading' Margaret Macmillan, Financial Times‘A masterwork . . . This is the history of the Eastern Front I’ve waited all my life to read’ Simon Sebag MontefioreThe definitive history of the Eastern Front in the First World War, from the acclaimed military historian and author of Passchendaele and The Western FrontTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ***********In the second volume of his landmark First World War trilogy, Professor Nick Lloyd tells the story for the first time of what Winston Churchill once called the 'unknown war': the vast conflict in Eastern Europe and the Balkans that brought about the collapse of three empires.Much has been written about the fighting in France and Belgium, yet the Eastern Front was no less bloody. Between 1914 and 1917, huge numbers of people - perhaps as many as 16 million soldiers and two million civilians - were killed, wounded or maimed in enormous battles that sometimes ranged across a front of 100 km in length.Through intimate eyewitness reports, diary entries and memoirs - many of which have never been translated into English before - Lloyd reconstructs the full story of a war that began in the Balkans as a local struggle between Austria-Hungary and Serbia, and which sucked in Russia, Germany and Italy, right through to the final collapse of the Habsburg Empire in 1918.The Eastern Front paints a vivid and authoritative picture of a conflict that shook the world, and that remains central to understanding the tragic, blood-soaked trajectory of the twentieth century, and the current war in Ukraine. Read more

Winner of the RSL Ondaatje PrizeShortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award‘A striding, glorious book . . . A flat-out masterpiece’ The New York Times Book ReviewCaught between hostile nations, warring factions and competing ideologies, Afghanistan was in turmoil following the US invasion. Travelling entirely on foot and following the inaccessible mountainous route once taken by the Mughal emperor Babur the Great, Rory Stewart was nearly defeated by the extreme, hostile conditions.Only with the help of an unexpected companion, and the generosity of the people he met on the way, did he survive to report back on his journey with unique insight on a region closed to the world by twenty-four years of war.‘This evocative book feels like a long-lost relic of the great age of exploration’ The Guardian Read more

THE SECOND INSTALMENT IN THE BESTSELLING ESCAPES SERIES, FROM MILITARY HISTORIAN DAMIEN LEWISSAS Great Escapes Two recounts the hitherto untold stories of six of the most dramatic and daring escapes executed by the world's most famous fighting force during WWII. From the very earliest SAS missions to the push into Nazi-occupied Europe, they cover some of the key figures in the Regiment, including its founder, David Stirling, plus other lesser-known heroes.With each story comes an edge-of-the-seat, rollercoaster ride in classic Damien Lewis fashion, as readers are plunged into the escapees' experiences - sharing their most terrifying yet inspiring moments. These stunning accounts of survival beggar belief, revealing nerve-racking bluff and deception, knife-edge encounters with enemy hunter forces hellbent on wreaking vengeance and murder, but also incredible acts of mercy and kindness from those who risk all to help the escapees on their way. Each tale of breath-taking derring-do reveals how necessity really is the mother of all invention, as with every step and at every juncture these fugitives defied fate, snatching survival and freedom from the jaws of the enemy, and all the horrors that would have followed capture.Damien Lewis has worked closely with the families of those portrayed, accessing wartime diaries, letters, mission reports, interrogation transcripts and more, to relate how the men of the SAS crossed blazing deserts, evaded enemy hunter forces and escaped through hostile lands, battling against seemingly insurmountable odds. But most of all, these uplifting tales of endurance beyond measure showcase the triumph of the human spirit and the will to survive.'Damien Lewis is both a meticulous historian and a born storyteller' Lee Child'Damien Lewis paints a uniquely vivid picture of the wartime SAS. Packed with detail, this fresh and dynamic book brings us as close to its remarkable members as we are ever likely to get.' Joshua Levine, author of Dunkirk'In these days when we are told to be scared of everything it is a relief to read of steely nerves and cold courage. Damien Lewis has collected examples of exactly these qualities from World War II and they are all thrillers, to be read with pleasure - and a bit of nostalgia!' Frederick Forsyth'The fund of SAS escapes turns out to be too big for one book, and in Damien Lewis there is a writer of rare narrative gifts able to bring alive these epic stories for us today' Mark Urban'An astonishing book: a collection of truly riveting stories of bravery, all brilliantly told. In terms of sheer drama and audacity, SAS: Great Escapes Two goes where no fiction writer would dare venture' Alex Gerlis, author of Agent in the Shadows Read more

A magisterial, single-volume history of the greatest conflict the world has ever known by our foremost military historian.*****The Second World War began in August 1939 on the edge of Manchuria and ended there exactly six years later with the Soviet invasion of northern China. The war in Europe appeared completely divorced from the war in the Pacific and China, and yet events on opposite sides of the world had profound effects. Using the most up-to-date scholarship and research, Beevor assembles the whole picture in a gripping narrative that extends from the North Atlantic to the South Pacific and from the snowbound steppe to the North African Desert.Although filling the broadest canvas on a heroic scale, Beevor's The Second World War never loses sight of the fate of the ordinary soldiers and civilians whose lives were crushed by the titanic forces unleashed in the most terrible war in history. Read more

The Top Five Sunday Times Bestseller'Excellent . . . persuasive . . . convincing' – The Times'Funny, whipsmart and devastating. Sanity on steroids' – Emily Maitlis'Fantastic. An exquisite analysis' – The Secret BarristerWhy does nothing work in Britain?It’s harder than ever to get a GP appointment. Burglaries go unpunished. Rivers are overrun with sewage. Real 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 blame dysfunctional politicians who are out for themselves. But, in reality, it’s more complicated. Politicians can make things better or worse, but all work within our state institutions. And ours are utterly broken.In Failed State, Sam Freedman, one of Britain's leading policy experts, offers a devastating analysis of where we’ve gone wrong. With historical depth and plenty of infuriating examples, he explains why British governance has fallen so far behind. Speaking to politicians of all stripes, civil servants and workers on the frontline, 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.'We can only hope that every member of the new government will read and digest this book' – David Aaronovitch, BBC Radio 4 Presenter'Brilliantly timed and frighteningly true' – Sir Anthony Seldon, bestselling author of Johnson at 10 Read more

Tom Holland's bestselling account of the world's very first clash of civilisations between the Persians and the Greeks in 480BC'Magisterial... told with great authority and a novelistic colour and verve' Books of the Year, Independent'Holland has a rare eye for detail, drama and the telling anecdote'Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Telegraph'An unequivocal argument for the relevance of ancient history' Observer'Holland brings this tumultuous, epoch-making period dazzlingly to life' William Napier, Independent on SundayIn the fifth century BC, a global superpower was determined to bring truth and order to what it regarded as two terrorist states. The superpower was Persia, incomparably rich in ambition, gold and men. The terrorist states were Athens and Sparta, eccentric cities in a poor and mountainous backwater: Greece. The story of how their citizens took on the most powerful man on the planet is as heart-stopping as any episode in history. Read more

'Mama, it's me.' I held her hand in mine, hoping it would give her the strength to hold on.Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.'Do not cry when I die.''Quite simply the most important book you will read this year' Hazel Gaynor'An extraordinary read' Lorraine Kelly'Deeply moving' Daily MailFrom invasion to liberation, September 1939 to April 1945, as Renee was marched from ghetto to camp, there was one constant. One hand that clutched hers - her mother's. Every day for nearly six years, mother and daughter were bound together in hell. From Auschwitz-Birkenau to Bergen-Belsen, they were a powerful source of solace and hope for one another.The strength of Sala's love gave them both something fragile yet beautiful to cling to in an ugly, depraved world. It was her mother who hid Renee, lied to the SS, went right when she was directed left - whose small actions had life-saving consequences. Now, for Renee, the need to share has finally overcome the desire to forget.A Mother's Promise is a love letter to a mother eighty years in the making.*****'Will stay with me for a long time... A beautiful account, so movingly told' Anna Stuart'Powerful, poignant, and deeply important. A must-read' Elizabeth Bellak 'This is a story the world needs to know' Madeline Martin 'This book travels to the very heart of existence' Joshua Levine Read more

A Sunday Times Paperback of the Year 2024The Sunday Times Bestseller and Waterstones Paperback of the Year 2024A Sunday Times History Book of the Year A Spectator Book of the Year The Irish Times No.1 Bestseller‘As taut as a fictional thriller’ Mail on Sunday‘Gripping, detailed and richly layered’ GuardianKILLING THATCHER is the gripping account of how the IRA came astonishingly close to killing Margaret Thatcher and to wiping out the British Cabinet – an extraordinary assassination attempt linked to the Northern Ireland Troubles and the most daring conspiracy against the Crown since the Gunpowder Plot.In this fascinating and compelling book, veteran journalist Rory Carroll retraces the road to the infamous Brighton bombing in 1984 – an incident that shaped the political landscape in the UK for decades to come. He begins with the infamous execution of Lord Mountbatten in 1979 – for which the IRA took full responsibility – before tracing the rise of Margaret Thatcher, her response to the ‘Troubles’ in Ireland and the chain of events that culminated in the hunger strikes of 1981 and the death of 10 republican prisoners, including Bobby Sands. From that moment on Thatcher became an enemy of the IRA – and the organisation swore revenge.Opening with a brilliantly-paced prologue that introduces bomber Patrick Magee in the build up to the incident, Carroll sets out to deftly explore the intrigue before and after the assassination attempt – with the story spanning three continents, from pubs and palaces, safe houses and interrogation rooms, hotels and barracks. On one side, an elite IRA team aided by a renegade priest, US-raised funds and Libya’s Qaddafi and on the other, intelligence officers, police detectives, informers and bomb disposal officers. An exciting narrative that blends true crime with political history, this is the first major book to investigate the Brighton attack.Rory Carroll's book 'Killing Thatcher' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 2024-04-01. Read more

From the author of Fake History, Otto English, comes a shocking yet hilarious look at ten of the greatest liars from our past, examining these previously unquestioned idols and exposing what they were trying to hide.'A brilliant book.' James O'BrienWas Che Guevara really a revolutionary hero?Should Mother Teresa be honoured as a saint?Is Henry V actually England's greatest king?And why does JFK's legend continue to grow?Having exposed some of the greatest lies ever told in Fake History, journalist Otto English turns his attention to some of history's biggest (and most beloved) figures.Whether it's virtuous leaders in just wars, martyrs sacrificing all for a cause, or innovators changing the world for the better, down the centuries supposedly great men and women have risen to become household names, saints and heroes. But just how deserving are they of their reputations?Exploring everything from Captain Scott's reckless hunt for glory and Andy Warhol's flagrant thievery to Coco Chanel's murky Nazi past, Otto English dives into the hidden lives of some of history's most recognisable names. Scrutinising figures from the worlds of art, politics, business, religion and royalty, he brings to light the murkier truths they would rather have kept buried away, at the same time as celebrating the unsung heroes lost to time.Fake Heroes exposes the truth of the past and helps us understand why that matters today. Read more

THE CAPTIVATING TRUE STORY OF THE MAN WHO INSPIRED WOLF HALL, MASTERFULLY TOLD: NOW REVISED WITH A NEW CHAPTER Readers LOVE Thomas Cromwell:'Very well written and engaging; I found it hard to put it down . . . Great book and one I will read again.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is one of the most fascinating biographies I've read.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'There have been many biographies of Cromwell, but Tracy Borman's book must rank among the very best.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ------------Known widely as Henry VIII's 'right-hand man', Cromwell has captured imaginations throughout the centuries: but who was he really? In this major new biography, leading historian Tracy Borman examines the life, loves and legacy of the man who changed the shape of England forever.Born a lowly tavern keeper's son, Cromwell rose swiftly through the ranks to become Henry VIII's right hand man, and one of the most powerful figures in Tudor history. The architect of England's break with the Roman Catholic Church and the dissolution of the monasteries, he oversaw seismic changes in England's history. Influential in securing Henry's controversial divorce from Catherine of Aragon, many believe he was also the ruthless force behind Anne Boleyn's downfall and subsequent execution.Although for years he has been reviled as a Machiavellian schemer who stopped at nothing in his quest for power, Thomas Cromwell was also a loving husband, father and guardian, a witty and generous host, and a loyal and devoted servant. With fresh research and new insights into Cromwell's family life, his household and his close relationships, Tracy Borman tells the true story of Henry VIII's most faithful servant. -----------Critical acclaim for Thomas Cromwell:'Dr Tracy Borman has crafted an exceptional and compelling biography about one of the Tudor age's most complex and controversial figures. With expert insights based on a wealth of research, and riveting detail, she has brought Thomas Cromwell to life as never before.' ― Alison Weir'This deeply researched and grippingly written biography brings Cromwell to life and exposes the Henrician court in all its brutal, glittering splendour.' -- Kate Williams ― Independent'Tracy Borman tells us succinctly in 400 pages what we need to know about the man who rose to be the king's highest adviser ... a very good book.' ― The Times'Tracy Borman's study makes clear his achievements, both admirable and despicable ... Borman has read an impressively wide range of modern historical literature on Cromwell.' ― Guardian'Borman's is a highly readable account, and will add to the debate surrounding this ultimately elusive character.' ― Financial Times'Elegant ... her prose, as ever, glides beautifully along.' ― Sunday Times'An engaging biography.' ― Evening Standard Read more

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Life-filled and life-affirming history, steeped in romance and written with verve' GUARDIAN'Richly entertaining and impeccably researched' Peter FrankopanIstanbul has always been a place where stories and histories collide and crackle, where the idea is as potent as the historical fact. From the Qu'ran to Shakespeare, this city with three names - Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul - resonates as an idea and a place, and overspills its boundaries - real and imagined. Standing as the gateway between the East and West, it has served as the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman Empires. For much of its history it was known simply as The City, but, as Bettany Hughes reveals, Istanbul is not just a city, but a story. In this epic new biography, Hughes takes us on a dazzling historical journey through the many incarnations of one of the world's greatest cities. As the longest-lived political entity in Europe, over the last 6,000 years Istanbul has absorbed a mosaic of micro-cities and cultures all gathering around the core. At the latest count archaeologists have measured forty-two human habitation layers. Phoenicians, Genoese, Venetians, Jews, Vikings, Azeris all called a patch of this earth their home. Based on meticulous research and new archaeological evidence, this captivating portrait of the momentous life of Istanbul is visceral, immediate and scholarly narrative history at its finest. Read more

THE BESTSELLING AND CONTROVERSIAL BIOGRAPHYBritain's leading investigative writer and biographer, Tom Bower turns the full beam of his formidable powers on one of the most controversial figures of present day: Mohamed Al Fayed.Owner of Harrods, bereaved father of Dodi and instigator of the 'cash for questions' sensation, this book was originally published in 1998 to wide acclaim. But with the recent heinous accusations of sexual misconduct coming to light, this new and updated edition will offer a new focus of Tom Bower's trademark acerbic insight on this controversial figure.'[Tom Bower] is the Inspector Morse of investigative biographers, a fluent, phlegmatic story-teller and a master of intricacies.' Sunday Times'Given the extreme difficulty of researching a subject like Fayed, Bower deserves full marks for effort and courage... his Fayed is a "fuggin" good read.' Lynn Barber, Daily Telegraph'A book that displays all the forensic skills he employed in exposing Rowland and Robert Maxwell.' Sunday Times'...that rare thing - a book by turns so entertaining and alarming that even reading the index is an engrossing experience'. Oliver Burkeman, Guardian Read more

A WATERSTONES, TELEGRAPH, ECONOMIST AND NEW YORKER BOOK OF THE YEARA major new history of England's turbulent seventeenth century and how it marked the birth of a new world'This is a wonderful book, exhaustively researched, vigorously argued and teeming with the furious joy of seventeenth-century life' The Times'A brilliant, bloody account of England's most dramatic century . . . Thrilling' TelegraphThe seventeenth century began as the English suddenly found themselves ruled by a Scotsman, and ended in the shadow of an invasion by the Dutch. Under James I, the country suffered terrorism and witch panics. Under his son Charles, state and society collapsed into civil war, to be followed by an army coup and regicide. For a short time – for the only time in history – England was a republic. There were bitter struggles over faith and no boundaries to politics. In the coffee shops and alehouses of plague-ridden London, new ideas were forged that were angry, populist and almost impossible for monarchs to control. Despite the radical changes that transformed England, few today understand the story of this revolutionary age. Leaders like Oliver Cromwell, Charles II, and William of Orange have been reduced to caricatures, while major turning points like the Civil War and the Glorious Revolution have become shrouded in myth and misunderstanding. Yet the seventeenth century has never been more relevant. The British constitution is once again being contested, and we face a culture war reminiscent of when the Roundheads fought the Cavaliers. From raw politics to religious divisions, civil wars to witch trials, plague to press freedoms, The Blazing World is the story of a strange but fascinating century, told in sparkling detail. Drawing on vast archives, Jonathan Healey refreshes our understanding of public figures while simultaneously taking us into the lives of ordinary people to illuminate a revolutionary society that forged a new world. Read more

Join Raynor and Moth as their journey continues in the incredible and uplifting Sunday Times No. 1 bestsellerFrom the million-copy bestselling author of the phenomenon and­ 85-week Sunday Times bestseller The Salt Path'Beautiful, a thrill to read . . . you feel the world is a better place because Raynor and Moth are in it' The Times'Winn's writing transforms her surroundings and her spirits, her joy coming across clearly in her shimmering prose' i 'A beautiful, luminous and magical piece of writing' Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry*Includes an extract from Raynor's brand new book, LANDLINES* _______ 'It was the land, the earth, the deep humming background to my very being' In 2016, days before they were unjustly evicted from their home, Raynor Winn was told her husband Moth was dying.Instead of giving up they embarked on a life-changing journey: walking the 630-mile South West Coast Path, living by their wits, determination and love of nature.But all journeys must end and when the couple return to civilisation they find that four walls feel like a prison, cutting them off from the sea and sky that sustained them - that had saved Moth's life.So when the chance to rewild an old Cornish farm comes their way, they grasp it, hoping they'll not only reconnect with the natural world but also find themselves once again on its healing path . . ._______'Confirms Raynor as a natural and extremely talented writer with an incredible way with words. This book gives us all what we wanted to know at the end of The Salt Path which is what happened next. So moving, it made me cry . . . repeatedly' Sophie Raworth, BBC'Brilliant, powerful and touching . . . will connect with anyone who has triumphed over adversity' Stephen Moss, author and naturalist'Unflinching . . . There is a luminous conviction to the prose' Observer'Notions of home are poignantly explored . . . wonderful' GuardianLONGLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE 2021**Nominated for the Holyer an Gof Memoir Award** Praise for The Salt Path 'An astonishing narrative of two people dragging themselves from the depths of despair along some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country, looking for a solution to their problems and ultimately finding themselves' Independent 'This is what you need right now to muster hope and resilience . . . a beautiful story and a reminder that humans can endure adversity' Stylist 'The landscape is magical: shapeshifting seas and smugglers' coves; myriads of sea birds and mauve skies. Raynor writes exquisitely . . . it's a tale of triumph; of hope over despair, of love over everything' The Sunday Times 'The Salt Path is a life-affirming tale of enduring love that smells of the sea and tastes of a rich life. With beautiful, immersive writing, it is a story heart-achingly and beautifully told' Jackie Morris, illustrator of The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane Read more

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE 21ST CENTURYNow an FX TV series streaming on DISNEY+'Unquestionably one of the greatest literary achievements of the 21st century' Nick HornbyFrom the author of Empire of Pain – a stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions.One night in December 1972, Jean McConville, a mother of ten, was abducted from her home in Belfast and never seen alive again. Her disappearance would haunt her orphaned children, the perpetrators of this terrible crime and a whole society in Northern Ireland for decades.In this powerful, scrupulously reported book, Patrick Radden Keefe offers not just a forensic account of a brutal crime but a vivid portrait of the world in which it happened. The tragedy of an entire country is captured in the spellbinding narrative of a handful of characters, presented in lyrical and unforgettable detail.A poem by Seamus Heaney inspires the title: ‘Whatever You Say, Say Nothing’. By defying the culture of silence, Keefe illuminates how a close-knit society fractured; how people chose sides in a conflict and turned to violence; and how, when the shooting stopped, some ex-combatants came to look back in horror at the atrocities they had committed, while others continue to advocate violence even today.Say Nothing deftly weaves the stories of Jean McConville and her family with those of Dolours Price, the first woman to join the IRA as a front-line soldier, who bombed the Old Bailey when barely out of her teens; Gerry Adams, who helped bring an end to the fighting, but denied his own IRA past; Brendan Hughes, a fearsome IRA commander who turned on Adams after the peace process and broke the IRA’s code of silence; and other indelible figures. By capturing the intrigue, the drama and the profound human cost of the Troubles, the book presents a searing chronicle of the lengths that people are willing to go to in pursuit of a political ideal, and the ways in which societies mend – or don’t – in the aftermath of a long and bloody conflict. Read more