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Long before King Arthur is born to rule England, the enchanter Merlin is caught up in a tangled web of magic and mayhem, treachery, truth and heady enchantment

Seven centuries have passed since Merlin journeyed with Jason and his Argonauts to find the Golden Fleece. Merlin is immortal, but when he uses the charm that is knit deep in his bones, his body ages – and he has no wish to be old, so rather than squander his magic, he prefers to rely on his own intelligence and cunning.

Now the mage finds himself in Alba, the Island of Mists, beset by enemies both dead and Otherworldly, seeking both the children of the warlord Urtha, who have been kidnapped and taken to Ghostland, and Jason’s younger son, Kinos (Little Dreamer), hidden by his enchantress mother, Medea in the Otherworld.

And now Merlin must use not just his own cunning and centuries of knowledge, but also the magic that permeates his body if he is to save his friends from fates truly worse than death itself.

Merlin is almost young, and immortal, one of those born to walk the paths of the world, a man with charm carved into his bones, and enchantment running through his body thicker than blood . . .

And this is a time of heroes, centuries before King Arthur is born, men and women who, though not gods themselves, are something more than mere mortals. For decades, Jason has been immured in his ship Argo in a lake in the far north, alive, but not, still traumatised by the murder of his sons by his enchantress wife Medea . . . until Merlin sees through the veil of enchantment and realises the boys were never killed; it was all a trick.

Through the mists-shrouded isle of Alba to Greek Land, Merlin leads Jason and his Argonauts, some old, some new, on a quest to find the boys, journey filled with heroism and heartbreak, truth and treachery.

Simon Bradley, a highly imaginative child, brain-damaged after a bizarre attack, vanishes one day from his home. Months later a body is found on the edge of Ryhope Wood. The wood shields a heart of primeval forest wherein live phantoms and strange creatures – mythagos – those shades generated over time by our dreams and nightmares.

Alex has in fact been absorbed by the wood, drawn into its green heart – through a ‘hollowing’. There his dreams will continue to populate the wood with its mythagos. But like Alex, they too are damaged: the great heroes he conjures are warped, incomplete and dangerous. Savage and lost, they are compelled to seek their creator. The havoc they wreak threatens those who search for Alex, including his father, Richard.

In the end, it will threaten the very existence of the wood itself and of its natural mythagos. Richard must quest repeatedly through Ryhope’s hollowings in an attempt to bring his son to safety and quiet the monsters Alex has created.

There his dreams continue to populate the wood with “mythagos”, warped, dangerous hero figures, threatening all those who come in search of the boy.

Deep within the wildwood lies a place of myth and mystery, from which few return, and of those few, none remain unchanged.

Ryhope Wood may look like a three-mile-square fenced-in wood in rural Herefordshire on the outside, but inside, it is a primeval, intricate labyrinth of trees, impossibly huge, unforgettable … and stronger than time itself.

Stephen Huxley has already lost his father to the mysteries of Ryhope Wood. On his return from the Second World War, he finds his brother, Christopher, is also in thrall to the mysterious wood, wherein lies a realm where mythic archetypes grow flesh and blood, where love and beauty haunt your dreams, and in promises of freedom lies the sanctuary of insanity …

Readers love Mythago Wood:

‘6.0 stars. This book is a MASTERPIECE and will likely be on my list of “All Time Favourite” novels before too long’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘Blimey, what a book! Genuine classic of mythological fiction.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘An imaginative masterpiece has broken the boundaries of fantasy genre. In Mythagowood Myths manifest from characters’s unfathomable desires. The mysterious forest which the protagonists are obsessed with is an original concept of legends, it rooted in subconscious mind arouses overwhelming power of human minds’. Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘To attempt to write a straightforward synopsis of Mythago Wood itself is almost to lose the very essence of the novel, to break away from the ethereal feeling which transcends the book.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘I’ve seldomly read a book that is so rich and enthralling in its descriptions and really draws me into the mythical woods, where time flows differently, where your subconscious can conjure up archetypes and these can infringe upon your very real life outside of the forest.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘Be warned. This book has no literary merit whatsoever. It is a lurid piece of nonsense, convoluted, implausible, peopled by unconvincing characters, written in drearily pedestrian prose, frequently ridiculous and wilfully bizarre. Needless to say, I doubt you’ll believe a word of it.’

So starts the extraordinary tale of Edward Moon, detective, his silent sidekick the Somnambulist and a devilish plot to recreate the apocalyptic prophecies of William Blake and bring the British Empire crashing down.

With a gallery of vividly grotesque characters, a richly evoked setting and a playful highly literate style this is an amazingly readable literary fantasy and a brilliant debut.

A great TV, movie and stage actress in her own words and pictures.

Helen Mirren has been an internationally acclaimed actress and the recipient of many awards, transferring without obvious effort from stage, cinema and television for over 40 years. Known in her youth for a forthright style, a liberated attitude and a bohemian outlook, she has never ceased to be out of the public eye, with legions of admiring fans all over the world. This illustrated memoir is an account of an extraordinary talent, and a life well lived.

Helen’s aristocratic Russian grandfather was sent to London by the Tsar and found himself stranded and penniless by the Bolshevik revolution, cut off from the family estate. He brought with him a trunk of papers and photographs. This delightful memoir starts with contents of the trunk, with evocative pictures of Helen’s Russian antecedents. She has kept a rich seam of photographs and memorabilia from her life, and her parents, family life, childhood, teenage and early years as an actress living in insalubrious flats are vividly documented.

Helen’s many distinguished roles in theatre, cinema and television and the illustrious men and women she has encountered are commemorated, as well as her forays into Hollywood and her subsequent life in the US with her husband, film director Taylor Hackford. Golden Globe and Oscar ceremonies make their appearance, as do many stunning images of Helen by the world’s leading photographers.

IN THE FRAME is a book to savour, created and written by one of the great personalities of our age.

Ruthlessly honest memoir of a widow’s pain in coming to terms with the death of her husband.

This haunting memoir of grief recounts the death from cancer of Nick Clarke, much-loved BBC radio presenter of THE WORLD AT ONE – and the aftermath – from his widow Barbara’s point of view.

With painful honesty, Barbara lays open her ambivalent feelings about the illness as it progressed, and her instinctive fear that this would be the end. As he got sicker, her fear grew, until he died an unfeasibly short time after his diagnosis.

Barbara chronicles in unflinching prose her life after his death. A howl of anguish and anger, she describes how many of her friends and colleagues don’t call, and don’t offer support – how alone she is, and how she struggles to explain the unexplainable to her young twin sons. She has a breakdown, and a short-lived relationship (met with condemnation from some of her friends), but knows the process of dealing with her grief is barely beginning.

A ruthlessly honest dissection of a widow’s pain, this book is also a love story – an uncomfortably raw, utterly compelling memoir which ends without resolution; its author still fighting to come to terms with the hand life has dealt her.

Ruthlessly honest memoir of a widow’s pain in coming to terms with the death of her husband.

This haunting memoir of grief recounts the death from cancer of Nick Clarke, much-loved BBC radio presenter of THE WORLD AT ONE – and the aftermath – from his widow Barbara’s point of view.

With painful honesty, Barbara lays open her ambivalent feelings about the illness as it progressed, and her instinctive fear that this would be the end. As he got sicker, her fear grew, until he died an unfeasibly short time after his diagnosis.

Barbara chronicles in unflinching prose her life after his death. A howl of anguish and anger, she describes how many of her friends and colleagues don’t call, and don’t offer support – how alone she is, and how she struggles to explain the unexplainable to her young twin sons. She has a breakdown, and a short-lived relationship (met with condemnation from some of her friends), but knows the process of dealing with her grief is barely beginning.

A ruthlessly honest dissection of a widow’s pain, this book is also a love story – an uncomfortably raw, utterly compelling memoir which ends without resolution; its author still fighting to come to terms with the hand life has dealt her.

The hill below the fortress of Taurovinda, stronghold of Urtha, High King of the Cornovidi, is coming alive: the Otherworldly realm of the Shadows of Heroes are claiming the land as their own. But this time their actions are driven by a force that is darker and older than even the oldest among the ghosts. Who or what is raising the Dead? Merlin, a temporary resident in the fortress, must answer that question if this time of kings and lovers is to be saved. Jason’s wonderful ship, Argo, has returned, drawn back by her own guilty past, and a dreadful secret that she will reveal only to Merlin. Argo holds the key to the mystery. And Niiv, the bewitching, beautiful Northlands enchantress, is working her way even closer into Merlin’s charms.

This is a journey that will take Merlin back in history, and to a fabled island of legend. Love is in the air. But at a price.

The bestseller from our pre-eminent philosopher, A.C. Grayling

‘Grief and loneliness, depression, despair and failure – those things are the common human lot at least at times in all our lives’.

Yet it is philosophy which, while not providing an answer to these problems, can enable us to prepare for them, and create strategies with which to deal with them. It is only through reflecting upon the world around us, reading, thinking, questioning, enjoying, that we can inculcate understanding, tolerance and importantly the courage to live our lives. It is our responsibility to live such ‘considered lives’ and to realise that we are authors of a narrative that can be shaped and controlled.

This is the fifth in a series of essay miscellanies from our foremost philosopher A.C. Grayling, reflecting upon the form of our world and its multiplicity. The essays are grouped by theme into reflections upon life and the standards we live by, including vivid polemics and perceptive pieces on significant thinkers, contemporary rights and liberties issues. This book brilliantly articulates the philosophical debate and reflection that is needed to prepare us for life in the twenty-first century.

The bestseller from our pre-eminent philosopher, A.C. Grayling

‘Grief and loneliness, depression, despair and failure – those things are the common human lot at least at times in all our lives’.

Yet it is philosophy which, while not providing an answer to these problems, can enable us to prepare for them, and create strategies with which to deal with them. It is only through reflecting upon the world around us, reading, thinking, questioning, enjoying, that we can inculcate understanding, tolerance and importantly the courage to live our lives. It is our responsibility to live such ‘considered lives’ and to realise that we are authors of a narrative that can be shaped and controlled.

This is the fifth in a series of essay miscellanies from our foremost philosopher A.C. Grayling, reflecting upon the form of our world and its multiplicity. The essays are grouped by theme into reflections upon life and the standards we live by, including vivid polemics and perceptive pieces on significant thinkers, contemporary rights and liberties issues. This book brilliantly articulates the philosophical debate and reflection that is needed to prepare us for life in the twenty-first century.

The epic story of one of the most famous love affairs in history, by the bestselling author of Caesar.

The love affair between Antony and Cleopatra is one of the most famous stories from the ancient world and has been depicted in countless novels, plays and films. As one of the three men in control of the Roman Empire, Antony was perhaps the most powerful man of his day. And Cleopatra, who had already been Julius Caesar’s lover, was the beautiful queen of Egypt, Rome’s most important province. The clash of cultures, the power politics, and the personal passion have proven irresistible to storytellers.

But in the course of this storytelling dozens of myths have grown up. The popular image of Cleopatra in ancient Egyptian costume is a fallacy; she was actually Greek. Despite her local dominance in Egypt, her real power came from her ability to forge strong personal allegiances with the most important men in Rome. Likewise, Mark Antony was not the bluff soldier of legend, brought low by his love for an exotic woman – he was first and foremost a politician, and never allowed Cleopatra to dictate policy to him. In this history, based exclusively on ancient sources and archaeological evidence, Adrian Goldsworthy gives us the facts behind this famous couple and dispels many myths.

The epic story of one of the most famous love affairs in history, by the bestselling author of Caesar.
*****
The monumental love affair between Antony and Cleopatra has been depicted in countless novels, plays and films. As one of the three men in control of the Roman Empire, Antony was perhaps the most powerful man of his day. And Cleopatra, who had already been Julius Caesar’s lover, was the beautiful queen of Egypt, Rome’s most important province. The clash of cultures, the power politics, and the personal passion have proven irresistible to storytellers.

But in the course of this storytelling dozens of myths have grown up. The popular image of Cleopatra in ancient Egyptian costume is a fallacy; she was actually Greek. Despite her local dominance in Egypt, her real power came from her ability to forge strong personal allegiances with the most important men in Rome. Likewise, Mark Antony was not the bluff soldier of legend, brought low by his love for an exotic woman – he was first and foremost a politician, and never allowed Cleopatra to dictate policy to him. In this history, based exclusively on ancient sources and archaeological evidence, Adrian Goldsworthy gives us the facts behind this famous couple and dispels many myths.

‘Excellent’ Tom Holland
‘Refreshingly frank’ Mary Beard

The autobiography of one of the greatest pilots in history.

In 1939 Eric Brown was on a University of Edinburgh exchange course in Germany, and the first he knew of the war was when the Gestapo came to arrest him. They released him, not realising he was a pilot in the RAF volunteer reserve: and the rest is history. Eric Brown joined the Fleet Air Arm and went on to be the greatest test pilot in history, flying more different aircraft types than anyone else.

During his lifetime he made a record-breaking 2,407 aircraft carrier landings and survived eleven plane crashes. One of Britain’s few German-speaking airmen, he went to Germany in 1945 to test the Nazi jets, interviewing (among others) Hermann Goering and Hanna Reitsch. He flew the suicidally dangerous Me 163 rocket plane, and tested the first British jets. WINGS ON MY SLEEVE is ‘Winkle’ Brown’s incredible story.

The autobiography of one of the greatest pilots in history.

In 1939 Eric Brown was on a University of Edinburgh exchange course in Germany, and the first he knew of the war was when the Gestapo came to arrest him. They released him, not realising he was a pilot in the RAF volunteer reserve: and the rest is history. Eric Brown joined the Fleet Air Arm and went on to be the greatest test pilot in history, flying more different aircraft types than anyone else.

During his lifetime he made a record-breaking 2,407 aircraft carrier landings and survived eleven plane crashes. One of Britain’s few German-speaking airmen, he went to Germany in 1945 to test the Nazi jets, interviewing (among others) Hermann Goering and Hanna Reitsch. He flew the suicidally dangerous Me 163 rocket plane, and tested the first British jets. WINGS ON MY SLEEVE is ‘Winkle’ Brown’s incredible story.

King-makers – Conspirators – Criminals – Nobles – Seducers

‘A riveting story, splendidly told’ DAILY TELEGRAPH

‘Gripping and gruesome’ BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH

‘Fascinating close-ups of outlandish Tudor behaviour’ DAILY MAIL


The Howard family – the Dukes of Norfolk – were the wealthiest and most powerful aristocrats in Tudor England, regarding themselves as the true power behind the throne. They were certainly extraordinarily influential, with two Howard women marrying Henry VIII – Anne Boleyn and the fifteen-year-old Catherine Howard. But in the treacherous world of the Tudor court no faction could afford to rest on its laurels. The Howards consolidated their power with an awesome web of schemes and conspiracies but even they could not always hold their enemies at bay.

This was a family whose history is marked by treason, beheadings and incarceration – a dynasty whose pride and ambition secured only their downfall.

King-makers – Conspirators – Criminals – Nobles – Seducers

‘A riveting story, splendidly told’ DAILY TELEGRAPH

‘Gripping and gruesome’ BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH

‘Fascinating close-ups of outlandish Tudor behaviour’ DAILY MAIL


The Howard family – the Dukes of Norfolk – were the wealthiest and most powerful aristocrats in Tudor England, regarding themselves as the true power behind the throne. They were certainly extraordinarily influential, with two Howard women marrying Henry VIII – Anne Boleyn and the fifteen-year-old Catherine Howard. But in the treacherous world of the Tudor court no faction could afford to rest on its laurels. The Howards consolidated their power with an awesome web of schemes and conspiracies but even they could not always hold their enemies at bay.

This was a family whose history is marked by treason, beheadings and incarceration – a dynasty whose pride and ambition secured only their downfall.

The definitive handbook of men’s customs, habits and pursuits. How to be the sexy, knowledgeable, confident, poker-playing, roast-carving, whiskey-drinking man you know you can be. And how to have fun being him.

The authoritative guide to being a man in the 21st century is here, at last.

* Ever wondered which is the right way to walk with an umbrella?
* Ever questioned just exactly what differentiates different types of beer or where all the single malt whiskies come from?
* Ever wanted to work out without actually having to go to the gym and fancied doing it James Bond style?
* Ever considered how a batiste shirt differs from a broadcloth one?

If you have, you’re in luck. The answers to every question you have ever needed to ask are within these pages, from how to strut your stuff on the dance floor to how to cook a decent chilli. Designed to help you out of any awkward situation, this book gives you any number of tips and hints for witty repartee down the pub, including why it’s better to have an older mistress and the 85 ways to tie a tie. All this and so much more is explained in a systematic and intelligent way, with facts and figures, diagrams and tables.

This indispensable guide for all men’s rituals and practical habits belongs in every man’s back pocket.

The highly successful ‘Grumpies’ return full of the Christmas spirit.

So – ’tis the season to be jolly is it? Well, not in the household of the Grumpy Old Man it isn’t. In the case of the GOM, ’tis the season to have to put up with even deeper layers of vexation than usual, and the only thing worth celebrating is that it looks as though you might after all be surviving to the end of what has been another crap year.

Everything about Christmas gets up our snitches. Everything. From the breakfast telly presenters who tell us it’s now just 120 shopping days to go, to the annual festive strike by airport baggage handlers. From office parties where drunken juniors have waited the whole year to tell you what ‘the trouble with you is…’, to parents videoing their precocious brats at the atrocious school nativity play where your kid is playing the part of the donkey’s rear end. From the woman next door who drops in to show your wife the diamond ring her prat of a husband has bought her, to the 150th opportunity to see ‘Whistle Down the Wind’ on the telly.

And speaking of wind, there’s the festive Xmas turkey that tastes like blotting paper soaked in a puddle and sends your digestive system to hell. And how on earth are we really supposed to look happy when someone buys us a tie with a picture of xxxxing Santa on it? Eh?

From the bestselling author of the Richard & Judy selected SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN.

‘Exceptionally accomplished … a near masterpiece’ DAILY EXPRESS

‘Heart-wrenching … a mesmerising page-turner’ MAIL ON SUNDAY

‘Delightfully written…Paul Torday is a remarkably original novelist’ EVENING STANDARD

Late one summer evening, Wilberforce – rich, young, and work-obsessed – makes a detour on his way home to the vast undercroft of Caerlyon Hall, and the domain of Francis Black, a place where wine, hospitality and affection flow freely.

Through Francis, Wilberforce is initiated into a life rich in the promise of friendship and adventure, where, through his new set of friends, the possibility of finding acceptance, and even falling in love, seems finally to be within his reach.

Wilberforce becomes a willing pupil to Francis, and in the cellars of Caerlyon he nurtures a new-found passion for wine. But even the finest wine can leave a bitter aftertaste, and Wilberforce will learn the undercroft’s unpalatable secrets, and that passion comes at a price …

THE BESTSELLING PHENOMENON

‘Eerily macabre… Wonderful’ Guardian
‘A nerve-fraying thriller’ New York Times
‘Every bit as horribly fascinating as In Cold Blood‘ Daily Mail

Libby Day was seven when her family was murdered: she survived by hiding in a closet – and famously testified that her older brother Ben was the killer.

Twenty-five years later the Kill Club – a secret society obsessed with notorious crimes – gets in touch with Libby to try to discover proof that may free Ben. Almost broke, Libby agrees to go back to her hometown to investigate – for a fee.

But when Libby’s search uncovers an unimaginable truth, she finds herself right back where she started: on the run from a killer.


THE ORIGINAL #1 BESTSELLER, BY THE AUTHOR OF GONE GIRL

‘I would rather read her than just about any other crime writer’ Kate Atkinson
‘Gillian Flynn is the real deal: a sharp, acerbic and compelling storyteller’ Stephen King
‘An extraordinarily good writer’ Observer

What readers are saying:

‘Loved it!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘My favourite book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘One of the most wonderful books I have ever read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


‘Stunningly funny’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the story of Dr Alfred Jones, a fisheries scientist – for whom diary-notable events include the acquisition of a new electric toothbrush and getting his article on caddis fly larvae published in ‘Trout and Salmon’ – who finds himself reluctantly involved in a project to bring salmon fishing to the Highlands of the Yemen – a project that will change his life, and the course of British political history for ever.

With a wickedly wonderful cast of characters – including a visionary Sheikh, a weasely spin doctor, Fred’s devilish wife and a few thousand transplanted salmon – SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN is a novel about hypocrisy and bureaucracy, dreams and deniability, and the transforming power of faith and love.

‘Warmly recommended to anyone searching for feelgood comedy with surprising bite’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

‘I really loved this book’ Bill Nighy

A sweeping narrative of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.

The Fall of the Roman Empire has been a best-selling subject since the 18th century. Since then, over 200 very diverse reasons have been advocated for the collapse of the western half of the Roman Empire. Until very recently, the academic view embarrassedly downplayed the violence and destruction, in an attempt to provide a more urbane account of late antiquity: barbarian invasions were mistakenly described as the movement of peoples. It was all painfully tame and civilised.

But now Adrian Goldsworthy comes forward with his trademark combination of clear narrative, common sense, and a thorough mastery of the sources. In telling the story from start to finish, he rescues the era from the diffident and mealy-mouthed: this is a red-blooded account of aggressive barbarian attacks, palace coups, scheming courtiers and corrupt emperors who set the bar for excess. It is ‘old fashioned history’ in the best sense: an accessible narrative with colourful characters whose story reveals the true reasons for the fall of Rome.

A sweeping narrative of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.

The Fall of the Roman Empire has been a best-selling subject since the 18th century. Since then, over 200 very diverse reasons have been advocated for the collapse of the western half of the Roman Empire. Until very recently, the academic view embarrassedly downplayed the violence and destruction, in an attempt to provide a more urbane account of late antiquity: barbarian invasions were mistakenly described as the movement of peoples. It was all painfully tame and civilised.

But now Adrian Goldsworthy comes forward with his trademark combination of clear narrative, common sense, and a thorough mastery of the sources. In telling the story from start to finish, he rescues the era from the diffident and mealy-mouthed: this is a red-blooded account of aggressive barbarian attacks, palace coups, scheming courtiers and corrupt emperors who set the bar for excess. It is ‘old fashioned history’ in the best sense: an accessible narrative with colourful characters whose story reveals the true reasons for the fall of Rome.