The Duke of Wellington`s victory over Napoleon in 1815 at Waterloo ensured British dominance for the rest of the nineteenth century. It took three days & two hours for word to travel from Belgium in a form that people could rely upon. This is a tragi-comic midsummer`s tale that begins amidst terrible carnage & weaves through a world of politics & military convention, enterprise & roguery, frustration, doubt & jealousy, to end spectacularly in the heart of Regency society at a grand soiree in St James` Square after feverish journeys by coach & horseback, a Channel crossing delayed by falling tides & a flat calm, & a final dash by coach & four from Dover to London. At least five men were involved in bringing the news or parts of it to London, & their stories are fascinating. Brian Cathcart, a brilliant storyteller & historian, has visited the battlefield, travelled the messengers` routes, & traced untapped British, French & Belgian records. This is a strikingly original perspective on a key moment in British history. ...

The Duke of Wellington`s victory over Napoleon in 1815 at Waterloo ensured British dominance for the rest of the nineteenth century. It took three days & two hours for word to travel from Belgium in a form that people could rely upon. This is a tragi-comic midsummer`s tale that begins amidst terrible carnage & weaves through a world of politics & military convention, enterprise & roguery, frustration, doubt & jealousy, to end spectacularly in the heart of Regency society at a grand soiree in St James` Square after feverish journeys by coach & horseback, a Channel crossing delayed by falling tides & a flat calm, & a final dash by coach & four from Dover to London. At least five men were involved in bringing the news or parts of it to London, & their stories are fascinating. Brian Cathcart, a brilliant storyteller & historian, has visited the battlefield, travelled the messengers` routes, & traced untapped British, French & Belgian records. This is a strikingly original perspective on a key moment in British history. ...

Set in Birmingham, The News Where You Are tells the funny, touching story of Frank, a local TV news presenter. Beneath his awkwardly corny screen persona, Frank is haunted by disappearances: the mysterious hit & run that killed his predecessor Phil Smethway; the demolition of his father's post-war brutalist architecture; &, the unmarked passing of those who die alone in the city. Frank struggles to make sense of these absences while having to report endless local news stories of holes opening up in people's gardens & trying to cope with his resolutely miserable mother. The result is that rare thing: a page-turning novel which asks the big questions in an accessible way, & is laugh-out-loud funny, genuinely moving & ultimately uplifting. ...

Alain de Botton explores our relationship with `the news` in this book full of his trademark wit & wisdom. Following on from his bestselling Religion for Atheists, Alain de Botton turns now to look at the manic & peculiar positions that `the news` occupies in our lives. We invest it with an authority & importance which used to be the preserve of religion
- but what does it do for us? Mixing current affairs with philosophical reflections, de Botton offers a brilliant illustrated guide to the precautions we should take before venturing anywhere near the news & the `noise` it generates. Witty & global in reach, The News will ensure you`ll never look at reports of a celebrity story or political scandal in quite the same way again. Praise for Religion for Atheists: ” Smart & stimulating.. .a sensitive analysis of the deeply human needs that faith meets”. (Financial Times). ”A serious & optimistic set of practical ideas that could improve & alter the way we live.. .energetic & on the side of the angels”. (Jeanette Winterson, The Times). ” Packed with tantalising goads to thought & playful prompts to action”. (Independent). Alain de Botton`s bestselling books include Religion for Atheists, How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Art of Travel, & The Architecture of Happiness. He lives in London & founded The School of Life & Living Architecture.
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The News is Alain de Botton`s witty & insightful exploration of our twenty-first century obsession with media. Why do we keep checking the news? Today, the news occupies the same dominant position in our lives as religion once did. But rarely do we consider how it touches us. Here, Alain de Botton examines a number of archetypal news stories
- a plane crash, a murder, a political scandal, a celebrity interview
- from a fresh perspective to ask intriguing questions: why do disaster stories titillate? why obsess over love lives of the famous? why smile when a politician falls from grace? In so doing, he brings clear sight & understanding to a force which, above all others, informs our view of reality. ” Like all classic de Botton, there are plenty of insightful observations here, peppered with some psychology, a dash of philosophy, a big dollop of commonsense.” (Scotsman). ” De Botton`s gift is to prompt us to think about how we live & how we might change things.” (The Times). ” De Botton analyses modern society with great charm, learning & humour. His remedies come as a welcome relief when most books offering solutions to the stresses of life recommend the lotus position.” (Daily Mail). Alain de Botton`s bestselling books include Religion for Atheists, How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Art of Travel, The Pleasures & Sorrows of Work & The Architecture of Happiness. He lives in London & founded The School of Life, & Living Architecture.

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Paris, 1774. Commissioner Le Floch`s stormy love affair with socialite Julie de Lasterieux has run its course but before Nicolas can formally end the relationship, Julie is found murdered in her bed, a victim of poisoning. For now, he retains the confidence of even the King, who sends him on a secret intelligence mission. But a plot is afoot to implicate Nicolas in Julie`s death, & he is soon fighting to uncover the perpetrators & clear his name. ...

Here is a book no Christmas stocking should be without, a book that positively distils the spirit of the season. The title poem, familiar to children & adults the world over, introduces a collection of stories & verse with a Christmas theme, guaranteed to engage & amuse readers young & old. Likely to provoke laughter & sometimes to bring a sentimental tear to the driest eye, this festive treasure trove is ideal for reading aloud or curling up with in a comfy corner. Scrooge himself would have found it difficult to resist distributing copies on Christmas morning! ...

In The Children of the New Forest, Cavalier & Roundhead battle it out in the turbulent setting of the English Civil war & provide the background for this classic tale of four orphans as they face adversity, survival in the forest, reconciliation & eventual forgiveness. This is the first enduring historical novel for children, which conjures up as much magic today as it did on first publication. The freedom from adult constraint allied with the necessary disciplines to survive in a hostile world make for a gripping read. ...

The glorious publication of Clement C Moore`s timeless verse sees it brought to new life by the beautiful illustrations of Christian Birmingham. Every Christmas Eve brings with it hushed anticipation & wonder. Here is the story of this magical night, when children around the world await the arrival of the gifts that symbolise all the warmth & love of Christmas. ...

Gogol`s classic, uproarious folktale, presented in a beautiful hardcover edition perfect for giving as a gift. Written in 1831, this dark tale relates the adventures of Vakula, the blacksmith, in his fight against the devil, who has stolen the moon above the village of Dikanka & is wreaking havoc on its inhabitants, all to win the love of the most beautiful girl in town. The basis for many film & opera adaptations, & still a story traditionally read aloud to children on Christmas Eve in Ukraine & Russia, The Night Before Christmas is the best holiday tale by the man whom Vladimir Nabokov called `the greatest writer Russia has yet produced`. Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) was the son of a Ukrainian gentleman farmer. He attended a variety of boarding schools, where he proved an indifferent student but was admired for his theatrical abilities. In 1828 he moved to St. Petersburg & began to publish stories, & by the mid-1830s he had established himself in the literary world & been warmly praised by Pushkin. In 1836, his play The Inspector-General was attacked as immoral, & he left Russia, remaining abroad for most of the next dozen years. During that time he wrote two of his best-known stories, ` The Nose` & ` The Overcoat, ` & in 1842 he published the first section of his masterpiece Dead Souls. Gogol became increasingly religious as the years passed, & in 1847 he became the disciple of an Orthodox priest who influenced him to burn the second part of Dead Souls & then abandon writing altogether. After undertaking an extreme fast, he died at the age of forty-two. ...