British Life

The New York Times bestseller and International Phenomenon One of the Top Ten Books of 2015, Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times. "It's bloody marvelous." - Helen Macdonald, New York Times bestselling author of H IS FOR HAWK "Captivating... A book about continuity and roots and a sense of...

Anybody who visits London at the height of the summer will soon realize that the United Kingdom’s capital city attracts sightseers from every far-flung corner of the globe. And what’s on their list of attractions to see? Nine times out of ten it will be Buckingham Palace, often followed by the Tower of London, and since the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, her former residence, Kensington Palace. In an age when the monarchy, British or otherwise, is accused of being an outdated institution, the tourists still flock in their millions to follow in the footsteps of Royalty...

From Susan Orlean—acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Orchid Thief and The Library Book—Rin Tin Tin is “an unforgettable book about the mutual devotion between one man and one dog” (The Wall Street Journal). He believed the dog was immortal. So begins Susan Orlean’s...

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Matt Haig returns with another life-affirming novel . . . If you enjoy the “Midnight” experience, climb aboard.” —The New York Times Book Review When your life flashes before your eyes, where would you stop? No one can change the past, but the Midnight...

Sunday Times Bestseller ‘A paradigm-smashing chronicle of joyous entanglement’ Charles Foster Waterstones Non-Fiction Book of the Month (September) Are trees social beings? How do trees live? Do they feel pain or have awareness of their surroundings? In The Hidden Life of Trees Peter...

A body no one reported missing. A crime no one investigated. DCI David Garrick is about to uncover the truth someone buried for years. But this case isn’t just hidden. It’s protected. As Garrick digs deeper, he finds a web of silence, corruption, and quiet complicity—where the wrong question could get him killed. And this time, the danger isn’t just on the streets. It’s everywhere. Perfect for fans of fast-paced British crime thrillers. The Dead Don’t Pay is the sixth gripping installment in the DCI Garrick series, perfect for fans of Peter James, JD Kirk, and Val McDermid. ...

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right? On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon...

What if Basil Fawlty ran your customer service helpline? What if Mr Bean was stuck in your hybrid meeting? What if Darth Vader had to queue in the rain at Waitrose? In Very British Problems: How the World’s Favourite Characters Survive Britain, some of the most iconic characters from film, TV, books and comics are dropped straight into the glorious chaos of modern British life. From Basil Fawlty, David Brent and Blackadder to Darth Vader, Yoda, Sherlock Holmes and the Sorting Hat, this sharp, witty and very British collection shows how the world’s best-known heroes, villains and legends...

Winston Churchill: A Biography of Greatness and Grit Few leaders have embodied courage, vision, and resilience like Winston Churchill. This powerful biography explores the life of the man who refused to surrender when the world stood on the brink of darkness. From his daring youth as a war correspondent and soldier to his rise as Britain’s wartime Prime Minister, Winston Churchill: A Biography of Greatness and Grit traces a lifetime of bold choices, fierce determination, and unshakable belief in freedom. It reveals the complex human behind the legend — a devoted husband and father, a ...

A body on the beach. A case no one wants to touch. DCI David Garrick is trying to rebuild his life. With fatherhood on the horizon, he’s ready for a fresh start. But when a body is discovered on a quiet stretch of coastline, that hope is shattered overnight. What begins as a routine investigation quickly turns into something far more dangerous. A hidden criminal network. Operations so ruthless even gangs keep their distance. And a silence enforced by fear. The deeper Garrick digs, the clearer it becomes— this is a case someone will kill to protect. As the pressure mounts and his team is...

A twisty, gripping novel that wraps around a deeply moving love story, from an electric new voice in upmarket women’s fiction. SHE THOUGHT IT WAS FATE. I KNEW IT WASN'T.... Honor seems to have everything: she adores her bright and beautiful daughter, Chloe, and her charming, handsome husband...

The Most Wounded Warrior in British Military History Shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear. Survived two plane crashes. Tunneled out of a prisoner-of-war camp. Lost an eye and a hand, then pulled off his own mangled fingers when a doctor refused to amputate them. His response to it all? "Frankly, I enjoyed the war." A True Story That Defies Belief Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, VC lived through what should have killed him a dozen times over. This meticulously researched biography unveils the astounding true story of Britain's most decorated and wounded ...

Everything has a price . . . Railway magnate Tom Severin is wealthy and powerful enough to satisfy any desire as soon as it arises. Anything—or anyone—is his for the asking. It should be simple to find the perfect wife—and from his first glimpse of Lady Cassandra Ravenel, he’s determined...

From the author of the classic multimillion bestseller The Shell Seeker, comes Rosamunde Pilcher's September, a story of homecomings and heartbreaks, friendships, betrayals, forgiveness, and love. The basis for the TV mini-series of the same name, now available on streaming platforms. A place...

A fresh portrait of the man behind James Bond, and his enduring impact, by an award-winning biographer with unprecedented access to the Fleming family papers. Ian Fleming's greatest creation, James Bond, has had an enormous and ongoing impact on our culture. What Bond represents about ideas of...

There are few amongst us who have not heard of the great romantic poet William Wordsworth, an artist who has for centuries, enchanted his readers with his eloquent verse and magnificent imagery. As a man who revelled in the beauty of nature, his love of the natural world shines through his stirring words, while all the while he attempted to unveil the hidden magic of the countryside. From the beautiful sites of the Lake District where he spent most of his life to the Scottish Lowlands and beyond, Wordsworth created unforgettable images, which would change people’s vision of rural Britain ...

Now celebrating the 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, soon to be a Hulu original series! “Wild satire . . . The feckless protagonist, Arthur Dent, is reminiscent of Vonnegut heroes.”—Chicago Tribune The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking...

There are some who would argue that in the 21st Century a monarchy, of any description, is an outdated institution, but paradoxically, it only takes the merest hint of a Royal scandal or conspiracy for the world press to be in hot pursuit of the story. What’s more, any newspaper or magazine fortunate enough to get a Royal exclusive, even in our modern age, is guaranteed to increase circulation dramatically, suggesting that there is as much interest in the monarchy as there has ever been. So how did it all begin? Well, for the British, the answer to that question is quite simply when the ...

The experience of motherhood is an experience in contradiction. It is commonplace and it is impossible to imagine. It is prosaic and it is mysterious. It is at once banal, bizarre, compelling, tedious, comic, and catastrophic. To become a mother is to become the chief actor in a drama of human...

From the host of The Rest is Classified podcast, this is the secret history of MI6 - from the Cold War to the present day. 'The history of MI6 in the words of real spies' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'The best post-1949 account of British intelligence I have read' SPECTATOR 'As gripping as any novel'...