books tagged “british”

A beautiful gift edition of Thomas Bulfinch's classic retelling of famous myths and folk legends, with interpretive essays by Princeton classics professor Richard P. Martin. [via]

In the multiple parallel universes of the Twelve Related Worlds, only an enchanter is powerful enough to control the misuse of magic. [via]

Stunning new paperback editions of Diana Wynne Jones's spellbinding Dalemark Quartet designed for crossover appeal to the adult fantasy audience as well as young Harry Potter fans. In Drowned Ammet. a young man joins in a plot to assassinate a tyrannical earl.

In the first biography since her death, Charles Higham (Brando) paints the most revealing portrait ever of the legendary American woman who caused an English king to renounce his throne--the Duchess of Windsor, a.k.a. Wallis Warfield Simpson. Illustrated. [via]

Available alongside five other Modern Classics first published by Flamingo in the 1970s, this is a re-issue of Germaine's Greer's feminist classic. Translated into many languages, "The Female Eunuch" is a landmark in the history of the women's movement. Drawing liberally from history, literature and popular culture, past and present, Germaine Greer's searing examination of women's oppression is at once an important social commentary and a passionately argued piece of polemic. [via]

The formation of the British Liberal Party, 1857-1868 [Paperback] John Russell Vincent (Author) [via]

A hitherto lost journal of the indomitable Amelia Peabody has been miraculously recovered: a chronicle from one of the "missing years" -- 19071908 -- shedding new light on an already exceptional career, a remarkable family . . . and an unexpected terror.

Ousted from their most recent archaeological dig and banned forever from the Valley of the Kings, the Emersons are spending a quiet summer at home in Kent, England, when a mysterious messenger arrives. Claiming to be the teenage brother of their dear friend Tarek, prince of the mysterious Lost Oasis, the charismatic herald brings troubling news of a strange malady that has struck down Tarek's heir and conveys his brother's urgent need for help only the Emersons can provide.

Driven by loyalty -- and a fear that the evil forces opposing Tarek's rule will now exploit the royal heir's grave illness -- the family sets off in secret for the land time forgot -- a mountain fortress from which they narrowly escaped ten years before. Braving the treacherous desert climate on a trek fraught with danger at every turning, guided only by a crumbling map, the Emersons are unaware that deception is leading them onward into a nest of vipers -- where a dreadful fate may await. For young Ramses, forced to keep his growing love for the beautiful Nefret secret, temptation along the way may prove his ultimate undoing. And a dark past and grim obligation have ensnared Nefret once again, as she is helpless to save those she loves most from the prison of the Lost Oasis.

Guardian of the Horizon is rich with suspense, surprises, unforgettable characters, and the intoxicating atmosphere that has earned its author the coveted title of Grand Master two times over. The remarkable Elizabeth Peters proves once again that, in the world of historical adventure fiction, she is truly without peer.

Henry VIII is portrayed against a background of pageantry and colour of a true Renaissance prince. His enormous appetite for life in most of its forms helps establish him as the most formidable King that has ever sat on the English throne. [via]

An Ancient Manuscript...

When ten-year-old Pidge finds the crumbling pages of an old manuscript in a second-hand bookshop in Galway, he unwittingly releases the serpent Olc-Glas--and the forces of good and evil gather to do battle. The MÓrrÍgan, Goddess of Death and Destruction, has set her evil heart on gaining Olc-Glas and adding its poison to her own, thereby casting her shadow over the world.

A Lost Stone...

To thwart The MÓrrÍgan, Pidge and his little sister Brigit are sent by The Dagda, Lord of Great Knowledge, on a quest to find a stone that has been lost for countless years--th only means of destroying the serpent.

A Perilous Adventure...

Pidge and Brigit's journey begins in Ireland...their destination is unknown. All true creatures help where they can, but ultimately, it is up to steadfast Pidge and courageous Brigit to find their own way. And always at their heels are the terrible hellhounds--the hounds of The MÓrrÍgan....

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Ever since he was a baby, Becan's only worry has been his big feet--until his widowed father remarries.  His new stepmothr and her three daughters feed him crusts of bread and banish him to work in the fields.  So Becan runs away.

With the help of his only friend, a magical bull, he defeats a giant, slays a dragon, and rescues a princess.  But before she can thank him, Becan disappears, leaving behind him one of his enormous boots.  The princess scours the kingdom for the owner of the giant boot.  Will Becan's feet give him away?  And what will his fate be if they do?

Folklorist Shirley Climo retells an age-old Irish tale that is an unusual twist on the popular Cinderella story. Just like his female counterpart, Becan has a mean stepmother and stepsisters. Unlike Cinderella, Becan has large feet and a magical bull for a fairy godmother. He defeats a sword-swinging giant, slays a fire-breathing dragon, and rescues a princess. But before the princess can thank him, he runs off, leaving her with only an enormous boot to aid her in the search for her rescuer. And, as in all Cinderella stories, true love prevails.

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Amelia Peabody Emerson is the Mary Poppins of Egypt. Forthright, intrepid, and industrious, she brooks no nonsense from anyone and is armed with an apparently magical parasol. As the legions of fans of Elizabeth Peters's Edwardian archeological mystery series know, Amelia is also possessed of a swift temper, an incorrigible curiosity, and an uncanny proclivity for attracting trouble. But in 1915, with the world gripped by the madness of war, trouble is endemic. In an effort to prevent their son Ramses from being coerced into working for British intelligence (in the sort of endeavor that nearly got him killed a year earlier when he infiltrated a band of Egyptian nationalists and prevented a Turkish-backed uprising), Amelia and husband Emerson and the rest of their dizzyingly large entourage flee England for the reassuringly stoic splendor of their beloved Egyptian ruins.

So much for a quiet dig among the mastabas. With their usual luck, the family promptly finds itself inundated by would-be assassins and nosy journalists. Amelia quickly deduces that Ramses's undercover work is at the root of both threat and curiosity; more puzzling is the appearance of the odd corpse or two and a rash of stunningly efficient tomb robberies. When Ramses and his wife, Nefret, travel to Luxor to check on the security of some of their old excavations, they find an all-too-familiar irritant behind the robberies. It would be telling to reveal his identity, but fans of the series will soon figure it out, with the aid of a little suspension of disbelief. With Ramses and Nefret on one hand, and Amelia and Emerson on the other, engaged in "protecting" the other side from conflict and trouble, the novel unfolds in a merry chase of misdirection and miscommunication.

There is a comforting consistency to Peters's series. By now, all of the characters' quirks are etched in stone like so many well-worn hieroglyphs. Amelia's narrative has the familiarity of a treasured and oft-read letter from a slightly batty aunt. Even the miraculous return of (no, I really can't say), though perhaps intended as a radical plot twist, adheres to the most genteel of mystery traditions, à la Doyle and Christie. Innovation can be overrated; with Peters's flawless record of producing amusing, easily digested novels showing no signs of faltering, fans should devour this morsel--and wait impatiently for the next tasty installment. --Kelly Flynn [via]

Louise Erdrich's The Master Butchers Singing Club is a powerfully told story of love, death, redemption, and resurrection. After German soldier Fidelis Waldvogel returns home from World War I to marry his best friend's pregnant widow, he packs up his father's butcher knives and sets sail for America. He settles in Argus, North Dakota, where he sets up a meat shop with his wife Eva, who quickly befriends the struggling yet resourceful Delphine Watzka. Delphine, who runs a vaudeville show with her balancing partner Cyprian Lazarre, has returned home to Argus to care for her alcoholic father. While most of this emotionally rich novel focuses on the changing landscape of small-town life as seen through Delphine and Fidelis's eyes, Erdrich does a masterful job of illuminating hidden dramas through her secondary characters. Erdrich's portrayal of these various townsfolk, including members of the Master Butchers Singing Club, truly shows off her storytelling talent. Her ability to infuse each character with a distinct and multifaceted personality makes this novel an intimate and thought-provoking adventure. --Gisele Toueg [via]

The Reptile Room begins where Lemony Snicket's The Bad Beginning ends... on the road with the three orphaned Baudelaire children as they are whisked away from the evil Count Olaf to face "an unknown fate with some unknown relative." But who is this Dr. Montgomery, their late father's cousin's wife's brother? "Would Dr. Montgomery be a kind person? they wondered. Would he at least be better than Count Olaf? Could he possibly be worse?" He certainly is not worse, and in fact when the Baudelaire children discover that he makes coconut cream cakes, circles the globe looking for snakes to study, and even plans to take them with him on his scientific expedition to Peru, the kids can't believe their luck. And, if you have read the first book in this Series of Unfortunate Events, you won't believe their luck either. Despite the misadventures that befall these interesting, intelligent, resourceful orphans, you can trust that the engaging narrator will make their story--suspenseful and alarming as it is--a true delight. The Wide Window is next, and more are on their way. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson [via]

Robbie William's Somebody Someday takes fans behind the scenes of his 2001 tour, laying bare both the mechanics of the pop machine and a man who can undoubtedly claim to be one of the biggest stars in the business. Williams rose from the ashes of teeny boy band Take That, confounding critics who had housewives' favourite Gary Barlow down as the only member with a musical future. Robbie had a shaky start to his solo outing but the massive hit "Angels" sealed his position as Britain's Clown Prince of Pop. His 2001 Tour was the pinnacle of his career so far and writer Mark McCrum had unprecedented access. The result is not simply a diary of the energy and vibrancy of live performance and the backstage madness that helps keep the show going, but of a rather vulnerable and sensitive pop star who loves what he does. Robbie talks candidly about himself, revealing a far more mature individual than the egotistical womaniser image perpetrated by the tabloids. The photographs by Scarlet Page are wonderfully unintrusive but at the same time capture many sides of Robbie that are rarely caught on film. Yes, there is Robbie pulling his pants down (again) and weeing against a fence, but we also see Robbie relaxing in his hotel room, strumming away on his guitar and kicking a football about by himself in a stadium corridor. It's a far cry from the bright lights and over-the-top personality he lets emerge on stage. Robbie fans would buy this whatever the quality, but it's a genuinely well-written and enjoyable journey through a few whirlwind months of a true star. In one of his earlier hits Robbie sang "Let me Entertain You"--from the talent and star quality than shines through here, he shouldn't even need to ask. --Jonathan Weir [via]

Like its predecessor, The Science of Discworld II contains a short Discworld fantasy by Terry Pratchett whose chapters alternate with popular science commentary from Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen.

In the Discworld strand, the bickering Unseen University wizards revisit their accidental creation Roundworld--that astonishing place where there's no magic. Our world, in fact. But it's being influenced by elves (bad news in the Pratchett cosmos), who bring superstition and irrational terrors to evolving humanity. They feed on fear.

This is the cue for Stewart and Cohen to develop their ideas of stories as a shaping power in the evolution of human intelligence. Whether they're called spells, memes, creeds, theorems, artworks or lies, satisfying stories are Roundworld's equivalent of Discworld magic. It's just that it all happens in our heads: "headology" as top witch Granny Weatherwax puts it.

Struggling to make Roundworld history come out right despite elvish interference, the wizards entangle themselves in complications of time travel and must eventually beg advice from Granny. To encourage a rational attitude to facts, it seems, Roundworld needs transcendent fictions--represented, in narrative shorthand, by the works of one William Shakespeare. The trick is to make sure he gets born...

The racy exposition of the non-fiction chapters covers plenty of ground, including astrology, cargo cults, phase spaces, information theory, and the evolution of species, art, science and religion, all reflecting the human tendency not to let facts spoil a good story. Meanwhile the Discworld chapters--though sometimes disappointingly short--are fast and funny, climaxing with much unscripted action at the first night of a famous play. The Science of Discworld II is ultimately entertaining and genuinely thought-provoking, as expected from this team. Laugh and learn! --David Langford [via]

"Phelim had always thought there must be more to magic than rabbits or handkerchiefs--that if it existed at all, it would be too large to palm or to hide up your sleeve." In fact, this young lad was pretty sure ghosts existed... or at least ghostly cats. His older sister and guardian, Prudence, had no tolerance for his irrational musings, but she hadn't seen the milk saucer licked dry day after day.

One morning in England in 1919, 11-year-old Phelim's life upends when he enters the kitchen and discovers a crowd of "stark-naked men and women about as tall as his waist, shaggy and matted with filth." These wild, scrabbly "prehistoric dwarfs" are glashans, people who tend the fields, invisible to humans. The whole motley crew has emerged from hiding to save the house from the Hatchlings, and for some reason they are counting on Phelim Green (newly dubbed Jack o' Green) to stop the Worm from waking up and demolishing the world.

The quirky, Oz-like odyssey that follows--fast-paced, powerful, and poetically told--is awash with Old Magic. As young Phelim plunges toward his quest, he wrenches himself out of the psychological clutches of his derisive older sister and into his own skin. Can Jack o' Green, with the help of a Fool (a "smelly old derelict" named Sweeney), a Maiden (a white-haired, upside-down-eyed girl he meets along the way named Alexia), and a Horse (the snickering "Obby Oss"), truly find the dreaded, slumbering Stoor Worm before its murderous hatchlings wreak havoc on Britain?

Award-winning British author and mythologist Geraldine McCaughrean (The Bronze Cauldron) draws on centuries-old folklore to create this rich, breathtaking fantasy. Sometimes terrifying, strangely beautiful, The Stones Are Hatching asks its readers to respect and appreciate the earth--a sacred place where everything is destroyed when we wage war, take our harvests for granted, and deny its magic. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson [via]

The author's 19th novel, which begins and ends at a dinner party. In a chic Islington house, ten people eat salmon mousse around a dinner table while a manservant unobtrusively pours the wine. The talk is of a robbery, a honeymoon and marriage. [via]