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The Life of Riley
Set in the backstreets of North London in the early 1900s, The Life of Riley is drawn from the diary of Lily Plant, the author’s grandmother. Combining fiction with meticulous research into the landscape of London in this period, the author has painted a colourful and moving tale of poverty and love, alcoholism and kindness. This is a world in which families live in two rooms, four families share a house and hunger is the norm. This is the story of Ray Riley, from childhood to adult life. It will make you laugh, and probably make you cry, and it will make you realise how lucky you are.
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The Life and Loves of Saint Columba
‘Years ago, I was captivated by a magical day spent on Iona and dreamed of writing a book on St Columba, an inspirational man far ahead of his time, who challenged the institutions of church and state, and created a monastery that became a beacon of spiritual and artistic light during the dark ages.’ Tim Hetherington
In this bold take on the life of Saint Columba – the founder of the religious community on the Scottish island of Iona and one of Ireland’s three patron saints – Tim Hetherington eschews the pieties of a conventional hagiography in favour of a more down-to-earth view of the saint and the religious, social and political world of Ireland and Scotland in the sixth century AD. Originally named Crimthann – the fox – and a member of the powerful Ui Neill Clan, Columba’s remarkable gifts of intellect and character were quickly noted and nourished by the leading clerics of the day. But his impetuous nature and family loyalties led him to involvement in political intrigues and conflicts.
Denounced by Church leaders, Columba left Ireland with twelve monks and founded the monastery on Iona. Over the years he established the Christian Church throughout Dalriada, the Irish kingdom in Western Scotland, and then in the rest of Scotland ruled by King Bridei of the Picts. Columba aligned himself closely, perhaps too closely, with the Dalriadan royal family. But the sheer force of his personality and his dedication to spreading Christianity by written works as well as by word of mouth ensured his special place in history.
Masterfully blending extensive research and novelistic imagination, The Life and Loves of Saint Columba is full of fascinating insights into the nature of faith and spirituality. This is a must-read for anyone interested in Christianity or Irish history.£9.99 -
The Lamb Of God
England, the 1460s: the conflict known as the Wars of the Roses, pitting Lancastrian against Yorkist, is at its height. After his terrible experiences at the Battle of Towton and the siege of Bamburgh Castle, Philip Neville is tasked with finding and escorting the recently deposed Henry VI – a man so pious and kind-hearted that many call him ‘the lamb of God’ – to London. During the period of relative peace that follows, Philip, previously disappointed in love, is at last persuaded to take a wife and make his way at court but finds it difficult to rein in his belligerent and insubordinate nature.
Despite his burning hatred for the ambitious nobles who have profited from the war, Philip remains steadfastly loyal to the new king, Edward IV. However, that loyalty is tested as never before when the alliance between the two most powerful men in the country – King Edward and Richard Neville, known as ‘Warwick the Kingmaker’ – begins to fray…
The Lamb of God is the second book in Philip Photiou’s War of the Roses trilogy. The first, The Wrath of Kings, was praised by best-selling author Philippa Gregory for its ‘intense realism and wealth of period detail’: qualities that The Lamb of God displays on every page.£11.99 -
The King's Fixer
Thomas Crookes, a depraved 15th century priest driven by an insatiable pursuit of power, resorts to murder and blackmail to rise within the medieval Church, itself rife with corruption maintaining its hold over the people by expounding the threat of hell-fire whilst tolerating iniquity and immorality in its own ranks.
Thomas, full of ambition, ingratiates himself with King Edward IV becoming his close confidant and fixer, thus thrusting him into machination and intrigue at the very heart of the kingdom.
This is medieval society in the raw with its bawdiness, brutality and violence brought to life in colourful detail. The bloody battles of Towton and Tewkesbury, the hunting, feasting, whore-houses, public executions, superstition and bustling markets all combine to make a gritty gripping story in an extremely evocative 15th century setting.
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The Journey – Prologue to Hell
The Journey – Prologue to Hell is indeed what the book’s title tells all its readers. It gives exactly the train passengers’ experience to those who’d been gathered up from their homes to be transported on it. To what, those passengers had wondered. Given false knowledge of a wonderful life they were being taken to by Nazis who’d dragged them out onto the road into waiting lorries then onto a train, they soon found that was false. They discovered the train journey didn’t lie, though; it showed its passengers the truth long before it ended.
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The Impaler Prince
In fifteenth-century Eastern Europe, Vlad III of Wallachia conducted a reign of terror. He had citizens impaled by the thousands. People were butchered on his merest whim. In his realm, and beyond it, men and women lived in dread of the Impaler Prince. And this Prince revelled in the horror he inspired.
He was a sadist, seen by some as a being of unequalled depravity, even as the Devil’s own spawn. But Vlad was also a man who had the qualities of a great leader: strength, courage, intelligence and commitment to an ideal. He was a crusader against the infidel who considered himself a true warrior of Christ.
Here, his story is told by four men whose lives overlapped with his; men who were influenced by him to the point of obsession. But it is also told by Vlad himself. The inner thoughts of the butcher of Wallachia are exposed. And there is much more to this sinister figure than many would have imagined.£9.99 -
The Hidden Spaniard
Spring 1998 –
Norah, an American woman journalist, currently adrift in her life, heads to Belfast, Northern Ireland to cover the unfolding Peace Accords. In addition, she is also unravelling a family legend.
In another spring, 410 years past, Spain prepares the greatest naval fleet ever assembled. Europe is abuzz with rumours of an invasion to unseat the “English Jezebel”, Queen Elizabeth I.
In 1588s Celtic Ireland, a 15 year old pagan girl is an apprentice seamstress earning her way and experiencing history’s surprises as a shipwrecked, Spanish Soldier is washed ashore on a local Irish beach.
“The truth must become a legend to survive,” it has been said. Did any Armada shipwrecked survivors leave any descendants in Ireland? Quite possibly.
What history has downplayed, due to a collective Irish guilt, may indeed be the truth.
Religion, magick and politics intertwine in this tale, as the omission of the historical truths are finally revealed.
A 16th century event has echoes to our current era, when history is hijacked by the victors.
Yet, eventually, “The truth will out.”
Even if that truth arrives centuries later.
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The Harvest of Time
The Harvest of Time shuttles between nineteenth-century India and present-day Britain, as friendships and loyalties between an eclectic group of individuals are continually put to test. Along these transnational trajectories, self and other become entangled as they try to forge their distinctive identities and speak in their own voices. Amos Goldstein, a young student at the Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, takes a trip to India to retrace the footsteps of his Uncle Zachariah, hoping to discover what he thinks is going to lead him to the centre of his own being. He finds himself in a room where his uncle might have spent some time, almost a century ago, and also in the arms of Nilanjana, a Ph.D. student at Chicago. This love will take him into the deep jungles of Chattisgarh. From within the heat and dust of the vast hinterlands of India, he hears the whispers of an eloquent silence. Soon, a vow bequeathed by William Hudson to his descendants will be fulfilled.
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The Guard Dogs of Babylon
Lewis Henry lived through the post World War II demise of European imperial adventures. After centuries of conflict, genocide and slavery of indigenous peoples to maximise profits from their colonies, the ruling powers confronted each other in a devastating war. The lessons learned from this disaster led to the adoption of more enlightened philosophies, systems of government and social institutions to avoid further destruction on a global scale. Hence, European societies were transformed into welfare states, former colonies gained their ‘independence’, and transport and communications were improved worldwide. The technological revolutions of the 21st century are now creating a global village that requires the elimination of oppression based on gender, class, race, caste and ethnicity so that people may live in peace and prosperity. This novel, by the descendant of slaves whose voices have not been heard for centuries, is a modest contribution to the creation of a better world.
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The Great History of the Manor Bouchove Part 1: Small Village in the Big World
We live in a house in the centre of a small village. With its stately façades and turret, the villagers sweetly call it châtelet. Before us, French noblesse stayed in it, gentry with impressive estates in France. During numerous holiday trips, we located and documented all of it. But that didn't give an answer to the question: How to present it in a digestible...no, into a captivating manner?
How to abridge the centuries and how to connect the turbulent history of Europe with everyday life in the village?
For that purpose, I introduced a family of estate stewards employed by the Masters of Bouchove. After all, ‘masters come and go, but stewards stay’. Besides clerks, marketers and a villain.
Thus, I got a storyline and could start processing the numerous bits and pieces of information into three volumes that give the rich history of Bouchove.£14.99 -
The Golden Threads
Nellie was brought up by her grandparents and lived in the East End of London. At the age of 19, she was able to start the job she had wanted, in a large J. Lyons & Co. Corner House tea room in London, where she became a ‘Nippy’, as the waitresses were called, where she also met her lifelong friend Connie.
Soon after she also met the love of her life, Tommy Brown, but her idyllic life was soon to change with the outbreak of WW2. The comfortable and safe routine of life was soon turned on its head.
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The Gold Conspiracy
The Gold Conspiracy is a gripping historical novel that delves into the complex and tumultuous world of apartheid South Africa. The story centers around the small, diverse community of Vrededorp, also known as Fietas, and the struggles its inhabitants faced under the oppressive laws of the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek. Through the eyes of the community's residents, readers will witness the resilience and determination of those who fought against injustice, including a teacher who produced prodigious minds despite limited resources and a community leader who fought for economic survival. The novel also explores the cultural diversity of Fietas, including the influence of Muslim and Malay cultures and the establishment of mosques, a girls’ school, a football league, and more. This novel offers a powerful and nuanced portrayal of a community’s struggle for freedom and justice in the face of oppression.
£10.99