Lucy Hughes-Hallett Libri

Awarded the prestigious Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction, this book delves into a compelling narrative that combines rigorous research with engaging storytelling. It explores significant themes and offers insightful perspectives on its subject matter, making complex ideas accessible to readers. The author’s expertise and unique voice shine through, providing a thought-provoking examination that challenges conventional wisdom and encourages deeper understanding. This work is a must-read for those interested in thought-provoking nonfiction.

The story of Gabriele D'Annunzio: poet, daredevil - and Fascist.

The narrative chronicles the dramatic life of George Villiers, who ascended to prominence as the first Duke of Buckingham, detailing his rapid rise to power and subsequent downfall. Through rich historical context, the story explores themes of ambition, influence, and the volatile nature of court politics in early 17th-century England, highlighting Villiers' complex relationships and the societal dynamics that shaped his fate.

From the author of ‘The Pike’ – winner of the 2013 Samuel Johnson prize for non-fiction – a compelling story of heroism told through eight famous lives that span from Achilles to Sir Francis Drake.

'This is a gripping book... A fascinating account of the way in which succeeding generations have seen Cleopatra; as virtuous suicide, inefficient housewife, exuberant lover, professional courtesan, scheming manipulator, femme fatale, incarnation of Isis and bimbo' - Economist

Not since Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber have old stories been made to feel so electrically new. Not since Wim Winders' Wings of Desire have the numinous and the everyday been so magically combined.

War in Italy in 1939 was by no means necessary, or even beneficial to the country. But in June 1940, Mussolini finally declared war on Britain and France. The awful inevitability with which Italy stumbled its way into a war for which they were ill prepared and largely unenthusiastic is documented here with grace and clarity by one of the twentieth century's great diarists. This diary, which had never been published and was recently found in Origo's archives, is the sad and gripping account of the grim absurdities that Italy and the world underwent as war became more and more unavoidable. Iris Origo, British-born and living in Italy, was ideally placed to record the events: extremely engaged with the world around her, connected to people from all areas of society (from the peasants on her estate to the US ambassador to Italy), she writes of the turmoil, the danger, and the dreadful bleakness of Italy in the years 1939-1940, as war went from a possibility to a dreadful reality. A Chill in the Air covers the beginning of a war whose catastrophic effects are documented in the bestselling War in Val D'Orcia .

The previously unpublished memoirs of one the most important Allied military planners of the Second World War. číst celé

'One of the best novels of the year so far' The Times A SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR 'Unlike anything I've read. Haunting and huge, and funny and sensuous. It's wonderful' Tessa Hadley 'I just enjoyed it so very much' Philip Pullman It is the 17th century and a wall is being built around a great house. Wychwood is an enclosed world, its ornamental lakes and majestic avenues planned by Mr Norris, landscape-maker. A world where everyone has something to hide after decades of civil war, where dissidents shelter in the forest, lovers linger in secret gardens, and migrants, fleeing the plague, are turned away from the gate. Three centuries later, another wall goes up overnight, dividing Berlin, while at Wychwood, over one hot, languorous weekend, erotic entanglements are shadowed by news of historic change. A little girl, Nell, observes all. Nell grows up and Wychwood is invaded. There is a pop festival by the lake, a TV crew in the dining room and a Great Storm brewing. As the Berlin wall comes down, a fatwa signals a different ideological faultline and a refugee seeks safety in Wychwood. From the multi-award-winning author of The Pike comes a breathtakingly ambitious, beautiful and timely novel about game keepers and witches, agitators and aristocrats, about young love and the pathos of aging, and about how those who wall others out risk finding themselves walled in.