The Battle of the Somme as described by The Times is republished in this highly illustrated volume. Photographs, maps & accounts are shown along with a comprehensive history of the battle. When war was declared in August 1914 The Times under its chief editor, Wickham Steed, embarked on an extraordinary project. As well as authoritative daily war reports in the paper itself, a separate weekly supplement would be produced, with 40 extra, illustrated pages of in-depth analysis. The result was The Times History of the War, collected into 22 massive volumes in 1921: 11, 000 pages; 6 million words; thousands of photographs, graphics, illustrations & maps. The pages detailing The Battle of the Somme have been extracted from those volumes to produce a detailed history of the bloody battle as told 100 years ago. ...

This fascinating book is a significant approach to the conflict of 1916 & a practical guide for anyone wishing to see & understand how the battle evolved. The day-by-day layout is illustrated by a fine selection of photographs, many previously unpublished & all carefully linked to show specific details of each month`s fighting. Equally important are the 50 full colour maps illustrating trench names, fortresses & strong-points, jumping-off points, objectives & gains made. For the first time it is possible to read about the progress of a specific British brigade through reserve trenches, front-lines, no-man`s-land & captured enemy positions & to trace that unit on the detailed maps. ...

The offensive on the Somme took place between July & November 1916 & is perhaps the most iconic battle of the Great War. It was there that Kitchener s famous Pals Battalions were first sent into action en masse & it was a battlefield where many of the dreams & aspirations of a nation, hopeful of victory, were agonizingly dashed. Because of its legendary status, the Somme has been the subject of many books, & many more will come out next year. However, nothing has ever been published on the Battle in which the soldiers own photographs have been used to illustrate both the campaign s extraordinary comradeship & its carnage.” ...

Sonny`s on the run. Sonny is a model prisoner. He listens to the confessions of other inmates, & absolves them of their sins. He`s been lied to his whole life. But then one prisoner`s confession changes everything. He knows something about Sonny`s disgraced father. Sonny wants revenge. He needs to break out of prison & make those responsible pay for their crimes. Whatever the cost. ...

Part epic of Texas, part classic coming-of-age story, part unflinching portrait of the bloody price of power, The Son is an utterly transporting novel that maps the legacy of violence in the American West through the lives of the Mc Culloughs, an ambitious family as resilient & dangerous as the land they claim. Love, honour, children are sacrificed in the name of ambition, as the family becomes one of the richest powers in Texas, a dynasty of unsurpassed wealth & privilege. Yet, like all empires, the Mc Culloughs must eventually face the consequences of their choices. ...

Frank doesn`t know how to feel when Nick Underbridge rescues her from bullies one afternoon. No one likes Nick. He`s big, he`s weird & he smells
- or so everyone in Frank`s class thinks. & yet, there`s something nice about Nick`s house. There`s strange music playing there, & it feels light & good & makes Frank feel happy for the first time in forever. But there`s more to Nick, & to his house, than meets the eye, & soon Frank realises she isn`t the only one keeping secrets. Or the only one who needs help.. .A poignant, darkly comic & deeply moving story about the power of the extraordinary, & finding friendship where you least expect it. Written by the author of the critically acclaimed The Imaginary & illustrated by award-winning illustrator Levi Pinfold, this is perfect for fans of Roald Dahl & Neil Gaiman
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Frank doesn`t know how to feel when Nick Underbridge rescues her from bullies one afternoon. No one likes Nick. He`s big, he`s weird & he smells
- or so everyone in Frank`s class thinks. And yet, there`s something nice about Nick`s house. There`s strange music playing there, & it feels light & good & makes Frank feel happy for the first time in forever. But there`s more to Nick, & to his house, than meets the eye, & soon Frank realises she isn`t the only one keeping secrets. Or the only one who needs help.. .A poignant, darkly comic & deeply moving story about the power of the extraordinary, & finding friendship where you least expect it. Written by the author of the critically acclaimed The Imaginary & illustrated by award-winning illustrator Levi Pinfold, this is perfect for fans of Roald Dahl & Neil Gaiman.
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Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus & his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, & as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war & medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper
- despite the displeasure of Achilles`s mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy & fulfill his destiny. Torn between love & fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
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A beautiful new limited edition paperback of The Song of Achilles, published as part of the Bloomsbury Modern Classics list ...

Available again after being long out of print, this is the pre-eminent critical study, & exploration, of how myth & legend played such a significant role in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. The Song of Middle-earth takes a fresh look at The Lord of the Rings, digging deep into the foundations of Tolkien`s world to reveal the complex tapestry of history & mythology that lies behind his stories. The charge that Tolkien`s work was merely derivative
- that he extracted elements from other mythologies & incorporated them into his own fiction
- is dismissed in favour of a fascinating examination of the rich historical background to Middle-earth. From the mythic tradition of the Tales told in The Book of Lost Tales: I to the significance of oral storytelling throughout the history of Middle-earth, this book examines the common themes of mythology found within Tolkien`s work. In doing so, The Song of Middle-earth demonstrates how Tolkien`s desire to create a new mythology for England is not only apparent in his writing, but also realised.

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