* Chosen as a Book of the Year by The Times, History Today & the Sunday Telegraph*‘ Wonderfully entertaining, comprehensive & astute.’ The Times‘ Genuinely hard to put down.’ BBC History Magazine From murder to duelling, highway robbery to mugging: the darker side of English life explored. Spanning some seven centuries, A Fiery & Furious People traces the subtle shifts that have taken place both in the nature of violence & in people’s attitudes to it. How could football be regarded at one moment as a raucous pastime that should be banned, & the next as a respectable sport that should be encouraged? When did the serial killer first make an appearance? What gave rise to particular types of violent criminal
- medieval outlaws, Victorian garrotters – & what made them dwindle & then vanish? Above all, Professor James Sharpe hones in on a single, fascinating question: has the country that has experienced so much turmoil naturally prone to violence or are we, in fact, becoming a gentler nation?‘ Wonderful... A fascinating & rare example of a beautifully crafted scholarly work.’ Times Higher Education‘ Sweeping & ambitious... A humane & clear-eyed guide to a series of intractable & timely questions.’ Observer‘ Deeply researched, thoughtfully considered & vividly written... Read it.’ History Today‘ Magisterial... The outlaw’s song has surely never been better rendered.’ Times Literary
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Set in mid-1970s India, A Fine Balance is a subtle & compelling narrative about four unlikely characters who come together in circumstances no one could have foreseen soon after the government declares a ` State of Internal Emergency`. Like much of Mistry’s other work, it engrosses the reader & engages them in such a way that whilst following the narrative, they are also unwittingly educating themselves in the complex & vast social strata that remains even in today’s modern India. It is a breathtaking achievement: panoramic yet humane, intensely political yet rich with local delight; &, above all, compulsively readable. ...

Set in the mid-1970s in India, A Fine Balance tells the story of four unlikely people whose lives come together during a time of political turmoil soon after the government declares a ` State of Internal Emergency`. Through days of bleakness & hope, their circumstances
- & their fates
- become inextricably linked in ways no one could have foreseen. Written with compassion, humour & insight, A Fine Balance is a vivid, richly textured & powerful novel by one of the most gifted writers of our time.

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When Judge Larocca is the subject of corruption allegations, Guerrieri goes against his better instincts & takes the case. After all they had been at school & university together. Helped by Annapaola Doria, a motorbike-riding bisexual private detective who keeps a baseball bat to hand for sticky situations, he discovers the judge`s links to the mafia. Larocca is blind to the immorality of his actions but Annapaola makes sure that justice is done, perhaps not in the most orthodox way. Of course Guerrieri cannot stop himself from falling for Annapaola`s exotic charms. The novel takes the form of a suspenseful legal thriller but it is much more. It is the story of a judge who, to"e Brothers Karamazov, ”...lies to himself & listens to his own lies, so gets to the point where he can no longer distinguish the truth, either in himself or around himself.” A man always looking to justify his evil & corrupt behaviour, perhaps an apposite metaphor for Italy itself. ...

This is an exquisite book that evokes a child`s first experience of nature. From beachcombing to stargazing, from watching squirrels, ducks & worms to making berry crumble or a winter bird feast, this is a remarkable book
- part poetry, part scrapbook of recipes, facts & fragments
- & a glorious reminder that the natural world is on our doorstep waiting to be discovered. Mark Hearld`s pictures beautifully reproduce the colours of the seasons on woodfree paper, & Nicola Davies` lyrical words capture the simple loveliness that is everywhere, if only we can look. It is the winner of the English 4-11 Award. It is exquisitely illustrated by a top contemporary illustrator & written by an award-winning non-fiction writer. It encourages children to go outdoors to explore & enjoy the natural world.

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` Oi, Hilda, the sign outside says you`re frying today but I ain`t seeing nothing done in ere!` The voice cut through my daydream, startling me into remembering where I was: standing in the fish-&-chip shop I worked in. We opened for business at 5 p.m. & already there was a queue of hungry customers on the cobbled street of London`s East End. In 1950s & 60s Bermondsey, the fish-&-chip shop was at the centre of the community. & at the heart of the chippy itself was ` Hooray` Hilda Kemp, a spirited matriarch who dispensed fish suppers & an abundance of sympathy to a now-vanished world of East Enders. For ` Hooray` Hilda knew all to well what it was like to feel real, aching hunger. Growing up in the slums of 1920s south-east London, the daughter of a violent alcoholic who drank away his wages rather than put food on the table, she could spot when a customer was in need & would sneak them an extra big portion of chips, on the house. As Hilda works in the chippy six days a week
- cutting the potatoes & frying the fish, yesterday`s rag becoming today`s dinner plate
- she hears all the gossip from the close-knit community. There are rumours that the gang wars are hotting up: the Richardsons & the Krays are playing out their fights across south-east London. & the industrial strike is carrying on for a painfully long time for the mothers with many mouths to feed. At home, Hilda`s children are latchkey kids, letting themselves in from school & helping themselves to whatever is in the larder until she gets in from her long, hard day at work. Despite tragedy striking her family, Hilda never complained of the loss of her daughter at a tragically young age, nor the tough upbringing she narrowly escaped. With a cast of colourful characters
- dirty ragamuffins, struggling housewives, rough-diamond gang members
- ` Hooray` Hilda`s story is one of grit, romance, nostalgia & British endurance. Told to her granddaughter Cathryn, this memoir is the uplifting sequel to `WE AIN`T GOT NO DRINK, PA` & is a testament to a woman who lived life to the full, who enjoyed laughter & loved fiercely
- even though her heart was broken many times over.




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Riding crop & fishing rod forever in h&, the author`s stories centre on the two great driving forces for renewal in his life: horses & fishing both of which, he says, are ”cheaper than seeing a shrink”. Thus we have two books in one: ” Seawitched” & ” Horse Medicine”, this author`s solution for surviving the modern world & his guide to healing oneself. The author was born & grew up in the Cape in South Africa, which made an indelible impression on him. & this is where his stories start, on the stunning beaches of his boyhood home. In 1980, Julian & his wife left South Africa for political reasons, so his story continues across the ocean in the cool, cathedral-like forests & heathery moors of Sussex in England (home of the fabled Winnie-the-Pooh). Later, further travels took him to California & the American Northwest. ”A Fisherman in the Saddle” celebrates life, love & family & the ties that bind us to nature & the world. It will teach you how to buy a horse, how not to buy a dog, how to catch a kabeljou, stay dry in the rain & avoid dangerous women. There is romance here as well as clear-eyed truth. ...

A recently discovered gem from the bestselling author of Somewhere Towards the End & Alive, Alive Oh!: the charming & vivacious diary of Diana Athill`s holiday to Florence in the late 1940s. In August 1947, Diana Athill travelled to Florence by the Golden Arrow train for a two-week holiday with her good friend Pen. In this playful diary of that trip, Athill recorded her observations & adventures
- eating with (and paid for by) the hopeful men they meet on their travels, admiring architectural sights, sampling delicious pastries, eking out their budget & getting into scrapes. Written with an arresting immediacy & infused with an exhilarating joie de vivre, A Florence Diary is a bright, colourful evocation of a time long lost, & a vibrant portrait of a city that will be deliciously familiar to any contemporary traveller.
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'I not only think about food all day, but I dream about it all night.' Henry Miller This is a book about food, & the food that's in books. Tucked away in many great literary works are some essential truths on the subject of consumption: that someone is always disappointed when a tart is halved; that roasted udder is best kept a once-in-a-lifetime experience; that oranges should always be eaten in private; that toast is criminally under-appreciated, though even James Bond can't get enough of it. Other less well-known truths include the fact that kippers can be cooked on an iron; gravy expectation is high amongst commercial gentlemen; & every child at some time sees their name written in treacle. These extracts
- some hilarious, some tragic, some downright bizarre
- demonstrate that food is one of the great overlooked themes of literature, & pursuing this theme is a good excuse to re-read some classics. Each of the"ations if fully references, so that the reader can 'source' the favoured titbits, & seek out further treats for themselves.

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Author Cara Frost-Sharratt takes the reader on a gastronomic tour around London, searching out the best bakers, butchers, cheesemongers, chocolatiers, delicatessens, fishmongers, food halls, farmers` markets, grocers, wine merchants & world food stores, visiting famous names & uncovering hidden gems. Buying food from specialist shops makes the whole experience more meaningful. Good food shopping will nourish the body & good food shopping will nourish the soul. Maps at the beginning of every chapter will help you find your way to your chosen shop, market or experience, & there are stunning colour photographs of the food & the people involved. The book

Includes:: ` While you`re in the area` listings so you can really make a day of it & discover all the location has to offer. Whether you`re looking for freshly baked bread, exquisite chocolates or exotic fare from across the globe, London has it all, & this book presents the best of the delights on offer.

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