Bess of Hardwick was one of the most remarkable women of the Tudor era. Gently-born in reduced circumstances she was married at 15 wedded at 16 & still a virgin. At 19 she married a man more than twice her age Sir William Cavendish a senior auditor in King Henry VIIIs Court of Augmentations. Responsible for seizing church properties for the crown during the Dissolution Cavendish enriched himself in the process. During the reign of King Edward VI Cavendish was the Treasurer to the boy king & sisters & he & Bess moved in the highest levels of society. They had a London home & built Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. After Cavendishs death her third husband was poisoned by his brother. Bess 4th marriage to the patrician George 6th Earl of Shrewsbury Earl Marshall of England made Bess one of the most important women at court. Her shrewd business acumen was a byword & she was said to have a masculine understanding in that age when women had little education & few legal rights. The Earls death made her arguably the wealthiest & therefore
- next to the Queen
- the most powerful woman in the country.

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Beautiful young exuberant the amazing life of Elizabeth Blount Henry VIIIs mistress & mother to his first son who came tantalizingly close to succeeding him as King Henry IX. The earliest known & longest lasting mistress of Henry VIII Bessie Blount was the kings first love. More beautiful than Anne Boleyn or any of Henrys other wives or concubines Bessies beauty & other charms ensured that she turned heads winning a place at court as one of Catherine of Aragons ladies. Within months she was partnering the king in dancing & she rose to be the woman with the most influence over Henry much to Catherine of Aragons despair. The affair lasted five years (longer than most of Henrys marriages) & in 1519 she bore Henry VIII a son Henry Fitzroy. As a mark of his importance Cardinal Wolsey was appointed his guardian & godfather. Supplanted soon after by Mary Boleyn Bessies importance rests on the vital proof it gave Henry VIII that he could father a healthy son & through Henry Fitzroy Bessie remained a prominent figure at court. In the country at large for proving that the king was capable of fathering a son Bessie prompted the saying Blessee Bessie Blount & her position of mother of such an important child made her an object of interest to many of her contemporaries. Sidelined by historians until now Bessie & the son she had by the king are one of the great what ifs of English history. If Jane Seymour had not produced a male heir & Bessies son had not died young aged 17 in all likelihood Henry Fitzroy could have followed his father as King Henry IX & Bessie propelled to the status of mother of the king. ...

Michael Adams shares a flat with three other men in their late twenties. Days are spent lying in bed playing computer games & occasionally doing a bit of work. & then when he feels like it he crosses the river & goes back to his unsuspecting wife & children. For Michael is living a double life
- he escapes from the exhausting misery of babies by telling his wife he has to work through the night or travel up north. & while she is valiantly coping on her own he is just a few miles away in a secret flat doing all the things that most men with small children can only dream about. He thinks he can have it all until is deception is inevitably exposed... The Best a Man Can Get" is written with the hilarious eye for detail that sent John OFarrells first book " Things Can Only Get Better" to the top of the bestseller lists. It is a darkly comic confessional that is at once compelling revealing & very very funny."
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Providing good answers to interview questions is central to acing the job interview & getting the offer. But what exactly are good" answers? What do interviewers look for when they question applicants? How can candidates best formulate compelling answers; that motivate employers to hire them? Addressing these & many other questions about the interview process this unique book examines 202 of the most common & difficult interview questions asked of candidates in both traditional & behavioural interviews. Nineteen example-filled chapters focus on key interviewing areas including: Ice breakers; Self-evaluation; Personality; Competencies & skills; Problem solving; Education; Work habits; Likes & preferences; Professional goals; Motivation; Vision; Salary; Social status. A virtual interview tool kit this easy-to-use book thoroughly analyzes each question & then offers strategies & sample answers along with useful checklists of dos & donts. Users learn what type of answers interviewers are really looking for when they ask a particular question. Each question is followed by a mini quiz to help readers understand why some answers are better than others. The perfect guide for all candidates at every rung of the career ladder." ...

Across the globe there are scores of beautiful & unusual works of art that are largely unseen or fail to receive the critical acclaim they deserve. The Best Art You've Never Seen" is your essential companion to this hidden world of artistic treasures. Travelling from Peru to Papua New Guinea " The Best Art You've Never Seen" restores to view 101 wonderful treasures
- uncovering neglected artistic wonders from off-beat corners of the world to store rooms in the world's great museums. Written by art expert & former museum director Julian Spalding " The Best Art You've Never Seen" takes you into a world of beautiful & arresting artefacts & reveals their amazing stories. It unveils a surprising & unfamiliar alternative canon of works to offer a fresh & controversial take on the world of art."
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Choosing a name for your baby has never been easier with this ultimate baby-naming guide. With all the information on the latest naming trends this comprehensive & easy-to-use guide is full of inspirational names. Including:
- A-Z directories of over 8 000 names & their meanings
- Over 100 inspirational lists
- Naming trends for 2013
- Tips for choosing the perfect name for your baby. Including modern names & variants plus classics that have stood the test of time this naming guide has everything you need for finding the perfect name for your new arrival.



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A collection of Richard Scarrys best loved stories gathered together in the perfect bedtime storybook. Now in picture book format. Join Huck & Lowly on their adventures around Busytown then drift off to sleep for adventures of your own! This fun book contains a collection of some of Richard Scarrys best loved stories perfect for bedtime reading & is packed with Richard Scarrys wonderful original artwork. ...

Best British Short Stories invites you to judge a book by its cover -- or more accurately by its title. This new series aims to reprint the best short stories published in the previous calendar year by British writers whether based in the UK or elsewhere. The editor's brief is wide ranging covering anthologies collections magazines newspapers & web sites looking for the best of the bunch to reprint all in one volume. Neither genre nor Granta shall be overlooked in the search for the very best new short fiction. The first book of the series

Includes:: stories published in 2010 by the following authors: David Rose Hilary Mantel Lee Rourke Leone Ross Claire Massey Christopher Burns Adam Marek SJ Butler Heather Leach Alan Beard Kirsty Logan Philip Langeskov Bernie Mc Gill John Burnside Robert Edric Michele Roberts Dai Vaughan Alison Moore & Salley Vickers.

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The second in a br&-new series of annual anthologies The Best British Short Stories 2012" reprints the cream of short fiction by British writers first published in 2011. These stories first appeared in magazines from " Ambit" to " Granta" in anthologies across various genres from publishers big & small & in authors' own short story collections. They were broadcast on radio & delivered by mobile phone app. They appeared online at " Metazen" & " Paraxis"." ...

The third in a landmark series of annual anthologies The Best British Short Stories 2013" brings you the best of short fiction by British writers first published in 2012. These stories first appeared in magazines from " Stand" to " Granta" in anthologies across various genres from publishers big & small & in authors' own short story collections. They were broadcast on radio & delivered by mobile phone app. They appeared online at fleetingmagazine.com & elsewhere. Jackie Kay Ross Raisin David Rose & Alex Preston headline the 2013 edition of this flagship national anthology." ...