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The fabulously festive fifth mystery from the bestselling, award-winning author of Murder Most Unladylike. Nancy Drew meets the Chalet School in this clever crime novel set in the 1930s. Robin Stevens' period detail, strong characters and meticulous plotting come together in a satisfying story (Scotsman)Festive, fun and full of mystery (Country Life)-----It's Christmas, the snow is falling in Cambridge where the detective duo Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are spending the festive period. But Hazel's hopes of relaxing amongst the beautiful spires, cosy libraries and inviting tea-rooms are dashed by the danger lurking in the dark stairwells of Maudlin College. Two days before Christmas, there is a terrible accident. At least, it appears to be an accident - until the Detective Society look a little closer, and realise a murder has taken place. Faced with several irritating grown-ups and fierce competition from a rival agency, they must use all their cunning and courage to find the killer (in time for Christmas Day, of course). A superb puzzle . . . Splendidly seasonal (Metro)Fabulous (The Times)

'Looking to make a career change? Pivot is the book you will turn to again and again' Daniel Pink, author of To Sell is Human and Drive The Lean Startup meets a personal playbook for career changeBorrowing from the Silicon Valley mindset of building lean, agile companies that thrive under conditions of risk and uncertainty, Jenny Blake shows you how to apply the same attitude to your career.In Pivot, Blake removes the feelings of confusion and panic that often come with trying something new. Instead, she shows you how to build upon existing assets - your strengths, interests and networks - to launch a new career filled with meaning, adventure, learning and growth.

In a crumbling, isolated house at the foot of Mount Kanchenjunga in the Himalayas lives an embittered judge who wants only to retire in peace, when his orphaned granddaughter, Sai, arrives on his doorstep. The judge s cook watches over her distractedly, for his thoughts are often on his son, Biju, who is hopscotching from one gritty New York restaurant to another. Kiran Desai s brilliant novel, published to huge acclaim, is a story of joy and despair. Her characters face numerous choices that majestically illuminate the consequences of colonialism as it collides with the modern world.

Opera is in many ways the most extraordinary artistic medium of the last four hundred years. Prohibitively expensive and patently unrealistic, it can nevertheless paint the human passions with astonishing power and drama. This book, the first new, full-length, single-volume history of opera for more than a generation provokes in-depth discussions of many works by the greatest opera composers, from Monteverdi, Handel and Mozart, to Verdi and Wagner, to Strauss, Puccini, Berg, and Britten. There are lively discussions of opera's social, political and literary background, its economic cicumstances and the almost continual polemics that have accompanied its development through the centuries. Central to the book is an exploration of the tensions that have always sustained and enlivened opera. Abbate and Parker examine the problems that opera has faced in the last half century, when new works - which were once opera's life-blood - have shrunk to a tiny minority, have largely failed to find a permanent place in the repertoire. Yet the book's final message is one of celebration. Even if the majority of opera's most popular and enduring works were written in what is now a remote European past, in circumstances very different from our own, and the viability of contemporary opera is ever more in question, opera as an art form remains extraordinarily buoyant and challenging. It continues to transform people physically, emotionally, and intellectually, and to articulate human experience in ways no other art form can match.

In this revelatory book, Callum Roberts uses his lifetime's experience working with the oceans to show why they are the most mysterious places on earth, their depths still largely unexplored. In The Ocean of Life we get a panoramic tour beneath the seas: Why do currents circulate the way do? Where exactly do they go? How has the chemistry of the oceans changed? How polluted are we making them? Above all, Roberts reveals the richness of their life, and how it has altered over the centuries. The oceans are now under unprecedented threat. Not only does Roberts show how we are fishing our oceans to extinction, crucially, he explains how this directly affects our lives on land. Ninety-five percent of habitable space on earth lies in the oceans, and marine plants produce half the world's oxygen; the oceans themselves absorb vast quantities of carbon dioxide. The life they support is now in the balance.The Ocean of Life should galvanise debate worldwide. Roberts shows how we can arrest and reverse the damage we are doing. Tantalisingly, it is within our grasp to restore the life of the oceans. There is still time.

In What the Dog Saw Malcolm Gladwell covers everything from criminology to spaghetti sauce to show how the most ordinary subjects can illuminate the most extraordinary things about ourselves and our world. Looking under the surface of the seemingly mundane, he explores the underdogs, the overlooked, the curious, the miraculous and the disastrous, and reveals how everyone and everything contains an incredible story. What the Dog Saw is Gladwell at his very best - asking questions and finding surprising answers. 'A global phenomenon... there is, it seems, no subject over which he cannot scatter some magic dust' Observer 'Gladwell makes the world seem fresh and exciting again' Evening Standard 'Comes exuberantly close to ... what goes on inside other people's heads' Daily Telegraph 'A dizzying array ... his writing talks to all of us' Guardian 'Consistently absorbing ... captivating' Independent 'Gladwell's storytelling qualities and his eye for the human drama ... make this so compelling' Sunday Times

THE FOURTH DI HELEN GRACE THRILLER BY BESTSELLING AUTHOR M J ARLIDGE'Helen Grace is one of the greatest heroes to come along in years' JEFFERY DEAVERIn the dead of night, three raging fires light up the city skies. It's more than a tragic coincidence. For DI Helen Grace the flames announce the arrival of an evil she has never encountered before.Because this is no firestarter seeking sick thrills, but something more chilling: a series of careful, calculating acts of murder.But why were the victims chosen? What's driving the killer? And who will be next?A powder keg of fear, suspicion and dread has been laid. Now all it needs is a spark to set it off . . .PRAISE FOR M.J. ARLIDGE:'The new Jo Nesbo' JUDY FINNIGAN'Fast paced and nailbitingly tense ... gripping' SUN'DI Helen Grace is a genuinely fresh heroine ... MJ Arlidge weaves together a tapestry that chills to the bone' Daily Mail'Chilling stuff' Fabulist 'A chilling read' My Weekly 'A grisly, gripping thriller' Sunday Mirror 'Gruesomely realistic, intriguing and relentless. Arlidge's fledgling army of fans is about to grow' Sunday Sport'Eeny Meeny debuts one of the best new series detectives, Helen Grace. Determined, tough and damaged, she must unravel a terrifying riddle of a killer kidnapping victims in pairs. Mesmerizing!' Lisa Gardner 'Expertly pulled off. It has a devious premise. DI Helen Grace is fiendishly awesome. It's scary as all hell. And it has a full cast of realistically drawn, interesting characters that make the thing read like a bullet' Will Lavender'A fast-paced, twisting police procedural and thriller that's sure to become another bestseller' Huffington Post

Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller The Doll's House is the new twisting and terrifying thriller in the Detective Inspector Helen Grace series from M.J. Arlidge. Arlidge is the author of Eeny Meeny and Pop Goes the Weasel, and has been dubbed 'the new Jo Nesbo'.'Detective Inspector Helen Grace is one of the greatest heroes to come along in years.' Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author of The Skin Collector and Solitude Creek 'The third instalment in the DI Grace series is as fast-paced and nail-bitingly tense as the first two. Taut and gripping, book four cannot come soon enough' Sun***************A young woman wakes up in a cold, dark cellar, with no idea how she got there or who her kidnapper is. So begins her terrible nightmare. Nearby, the body of another young woman is discovered buried on a remote beach. But the dead girl was never reported missing - her estranged family having received regular texts from her over the years. Someone has been keeping her alive from beyond the grave. For Detective Inspector Helen Grace it's chilling evidence that she's searching for a monster who is not just twisted but also clever and resourceful - a predator who's killed before. And as Helen struggles to understand the killer's motivation, she begins to realize that she's in a desperate race against time . . .PRAISE FOR M.J. ARLIDGE:'Page-turningly chilling' The Times'DI Helen Grace is a genuinely fresh heroine ... MJ Arlidge weaves together a tapestry that chills to the bone'Daily Mail'M.J. Arlidge is the new Jo Nesbo' Judy Finnigan'Taut, fast-paced, truly excellent' Sun'Chilling stuff' Fabulist 'A chilling read' My Weekly 'A grisly, gripping thriller' Sunday Mirror 'Dark, twisted, thought provoking, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Take a ride on this roller coaster from hell--white knuckles guaranteed.' Tami Hoag, number one New York Times bestselling author'Gruesomely realistic, intriguing and relentless. Arlidge's fledgling army of fans is about to grow' Sunday Sport'Eeny Meeny debuts one of the best new series detectives, Helen Grace. Determined, tough and damaged, she must unravel a terrifying riddle of a killer kidnapping victims in pairs. Mesmerizing!' Lisa Gardner 'Expertly pulled off. It has a devious premise. DI Helen Grace is fiendishly awesome. It's scary as all hell. And it has a full cast of realistically drawn, interesting characters that make the thing read like a bullet' Will Lavender 'A fast-paced, twisting police procedural and thriller that's sure to become another bestseller' Huffington Post

DISCOVER THE FIRST BOOK IN THE DARKLY SENSUAL CROSSFIRE SERIES THAT HAS CAPTURED MILLIONS OF HEARTS AROUND THE WORLD - PERFECT FOR FANS OF FIFTY SHADES OF GREY Eva and Gideon finally commit to their relationship, but can marriage contain a love with so much intensity? Gideon calls me his angel, but he's the miracle in my life. My gorgeous, wounded warrior, so determined to slay my demons while refusing to face his own.The vows we'd exchanged should have bound us tighter than blood and flesh. Instead they opened up old wounds, exposed pain and insecurities, and lured bitter enemies out of the shadows. I felt him slipping from my grasp; my greatest fears becoming my reality; my love tested in ways I wasn't sure I was strong enough to bear.At the brightest time in our lives, the darkness of his past encroached and threatened everything we'd worked so hard for. We faced a terrible choice: the familiar safety of the lives we'd had before each other or the fight for a future that suddenly seemed an impossible and hopeless dream . . .

*** Start a new crime series... now at this special price for a limited time only ***'This is going to be as big as Jo Nesbo' Judy Finnigan 'What a great premise!' Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author of The Skin Collector and Solitude Creek Eeny Meeny is the rocket-paced serial-killer thriller debut from M. J. Arlidge. Eeny Meeny was a Richard and Judy Book Club Summer 2014 pick. ******** The girl emerged from the woods, barely alive. Her story was beyond belief. But it was true. Every dreadful word of it. Days later, another desperate escapee is found - and a pattern is emerging. Pairs of victims are being abducted, imprisoned then faced with a terrible choice: kill or be killed. Would you rather lose your life or lose your mind? Detective Inspector Helen Grace has faced down her own demons on her rise to the top. As she leads the investigation to hunt down this unseen monster, she learns that it may be the survivors - living calling cards - who hold the key to the case. And unless she succeeds, more innocents will die . . . Introducing M. J. Arlidge's Detective Inspector Helen Grace, Eeny Meeny is an electrifying d but, with the nerve-shredding intensity of Saw and Along Came a Spider. Fans of James Patterson and Mo Hayder should pay attention. Praise for M.J. Arlidge and the DI Helen Grace series: 'M. J. Arlidge has created a genuinely fresh heroine in DI Helen Grace' Daily Mail 'Taut, fast-paced, truly excellent' Sun 'Detective Inspector Helen Grace is one of the greatest heroes to come along in years.' Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author of The Skin Collector and Solitude Creek 'Gruesomely realistic, intriguing and relentless' Sunday Sport 'Eeny Meeny debuts one of the best new series detectives, Helen Grace. Determined, tough and damaged, she must unravel a terrifying riddle of a killer kidnapping victims in pairs. Mesmerizing!' Lisa Gardner'A gripping debut ... D.I. Helen Grace is a flawed but winning heroine ... and, boy, the pages fly by' USA Today'A fast-paced, twisting police procedural and thriller that's sure to become another bestseller' Huffington Post

The Revenge of Seven is the heartstopping fifth installment in the Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore.The worst was supposed to be over. We were reunited after a decade apart. We were discovering the truth about our past. We were training and getting stronger every day. We were even happy. . . .We never imagined the Mogadorians could turn one of our own against us. We were fools for trusting Five. And now Eight is lost forever. I would do anything to bring him back, but that's impossible. Instead, I will do whatever it takes to destroy every last one of them.I've spent my entire life hiding from them, and they've stolen everything away from me. But that stops now. We're going to take the battle to them. We have a new ally who knows their weaknesses. And I finally have the power to fight back.They caught Number One in Malaysia.Number Two in England.Number Three in Kenya.And Number Eight in Florida.They killed them all.I am Number Seven.I will make them pay.Praise for Pittacus Lore:'Tense, exciting, full of energy' Observer'Relentlessly readable' The Times'Tense, keeps you wondering' Sunday Times'Set to eclipse Harry Potter and moody vampires. Pittacus Lore is about to become one of the hottest names on the planet' Big Issue

The Complete Short Stories of Roald Dahl in the second of two unsettling and sinister volumes.'Dahl finds the child in the adult and the adult in the child and, with a little smile, he sticks the knife in both' Anthony Horowitz, from his introductionRoald Dahl is one of the world's most popular writers, equally at home writing for both children and adults. In this, the second of two volumes chronologically collecting all his published adult short stories, we experience Dahl's dark and powerful imagination in full flight in 28 stories written between 1954 and 1988 (including eight tales which are not available in any other printed edition).Here, in 'Parson's Pleasure', a piece of furniture is the subject of a deceitful bargain; in 'William and Mary', a wife revenges herself on her dead husband; and in 'Royal Jelly' some new parents find an unusual and unsettling way to give their newborn its start in life.Whether you're young or old, once you've stepped into the brilliant, troubling world of Roald Dahl, you'll never be the same again. 'One of the most widely read and influential writers of our generation' The Times 'The absolute master of the twist in the tale' Observer Look out for Volume One, introduced by Charlie Higson. Roald Dahl, the brilliant and worldwide acclaimed author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and many more classics for children, also wrote scores of short stories for adults. These delightfully disturbing tales have often been filmed and were most recently the inspiration for the West End play, Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales by Jeremy Dyson. Roald Dahl's stories continue to make readers shiver today.

Juan Cabrillo and the Oregon crew return in Clive Cussler's Dark Watch.A deadly band of pirates is terrorizing the waters of the Far East - and the crew of the Oregon may be the only people who can stop them...Juan Cabrillo and his expert team on the Oregon are used to working dirty, dangerous jobs. While thwarting terrorist missiles, Cabrillo and the crew stumble on pirates in the seas of China - men who are more concerned with destroying ships with their Shock and Awe attacks than plundering their valuables. When the team grows desperate for all the information they can get, one of Juan's best men risks everything to get closer to the truth.Soon, the Oregon team will discover that the pirates are hiding a much more deadly power: an international conspiracy of slavery that will rock the very foundations of the world banks. Millions of dollars and thousands of lives are at stake - and Juan Cabrillo is their only hope...Praise for Clive Cussler:'Cussler is hard to beat' Daily Mail

Richard Evans' brilliant book unfolds perhaps the single most important story of the 20th century: how a stable and modern country in less than a single lifetime led Europe into moral, physical and cultural ruin and despair. A terrible story not least because there were so many other ways in which Germany's history could have been played out. With authority, skill and compassion, Evans recreates a country torn apart by overwhelming economic, political and social blows: the First World War, Versailles, hyperinflation and the Great Depression. One by one these blows ruined or pushed aside almost everything admirable about Germany, leaving the way clear for a truly horrifying ideology to take command.

The Third Reich in Power examines how it was possible for a group of ideological obsessive to remould a society famous for its sophistication and complexity into a one-party state directed at war and race hate. Richard J. Evans shows how the Nazis won over the hearts and minds of German citizens, twisted science, religion and culture, and transformed the economy, education, law and order to achieve total dominance in German politics and society. Drawing on an extraordinary range of research, blending narrative, description and analysis he creates a picture of a dictatorship consumed by visceral hatreds and ambitions and driven by war.

'A satire of our times. Very funny indeed' Sunday Times FEATURED IN 'THE 100 BOOKS THAT SHAPED OUR WORLD' BBC ARTS The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 is the first book in Sue Townsend's brilliantly funny Adrian Mole series. Friday January 2ndI felt rotten today. It's my mother's fault for singing 'My Way' at two o'clock in the morning at the top of the stairs. Just my luck to have a mother like her. There is a chance my parents could be alcoholics. Next year I could be in a children's home.Meet Adrian Mole, a hapless teenager providing an unabashed, pimples-and-all glimpse into adolescent life. Writing candidly about his parents' marital troubles, the dog, his life as a tortured poet and 'misunderstood intellectual', Adrian's painfully honest diary is still hilarious and compelling reading thirty years after it first appeared._________'I not only wept, I howled and hooted and had to get up and walk around the room and wipe my eyes so that I could go on reading' Tom Sharpe'We laugh both at Mole and with him. A wonderful comic read, that, like all the best comedy, says something rather meaningful' HeatNOW A MAJOR MUSICAL

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was Carson McCullers' first novel, written in 1940. Set in a small town in the American South, it is the story of a group of people who have little in common except that they are all hopelessly lonely. A young girl, a drunken socialist and a black doctor are drawn to a gentle, sympathetic deaf mute, whose presence changes their lives. This powerful exploration of alienation is both moving and perceptive.

This title has been optimised for viewing on colour devices. "e;Who's that trip-trapping over my bridge?"e; Based on the traditional fairy tale 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff', this vibrantly illustrated story is sure to become a favourite in every home. Part of the Ladybird 'First Favourite Tales' series - a perfect introduction to fairy tales for preschoolers - this story contains lots of funny rhythm and rhyme to delight young children. Ideal for reading aloud and sharing with 2-4 year olds.

The unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of Pop Goes The Weasel - the furiously fast-paced new thriller from M J Arlidge, read by Elizabeth Bower. The body of a middle-aged man is discovered in Southamptons red light district - horrifically mutilated, with his heart removed. Hours later - and barely cold - the heart arrives with his wife and children by courier. A pattern emerges when another male victim is found dead and eviscerated, his heart delivered soon afterwards. The media call it Jack the Ripper in reverse; revenge against the men who lead sordid double lives visiting prostitutes. For Grace, only one thing is certain: theres a vicious serial-killer at large who must be halted at all costs . . .

Historical fiction master Conn Iggulden retells the gripping story of the English Civil War in this first instalment of his latest Wars of the Roses series. King Henry V - the great Lion of England - is long dead. In 1437 his gentle son comes of age and takes the throne. Frail in body and mind, King Henry VI is dependent on his supporters to run his kingdom. Richard, Duke of York, however, believes that without a strong king England will fall. His fears seem justified as English power comes under threat from France, and discontent and rebellion spread at home. On the counsel of his advisers, Henry marries the young princess Margaret of Anjou, in order to forge an alliance with France - but is it too late? As the storm clouds gather, King Henry and his queen are besieged abroad and at home. Who can save the throne? Who will save the kingdom? Stormbird is followed by Trinity, also available from Penguin Random House UK. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Ken Follett and Hilary Mantel. Praise for Conn Iggulden: This is energetic, competent stuff; Iggulden knows his material and his audience Independent Iggulden is in a class of his own when it comes to epic, historical fiction Daily Mirror Iggulden...tells an absolutely cracking story The Times

Stephen Fry invites readers to take a glimpse at his life story in the unputdownable More Fool Me.'Oh dear I am an arse. I expect there'll be what I believe is called an "e;intervention"e; soon. I keep picturing it. All my friends bearing down on me and me denying everything until my pockets are emptied. Oh the shame'In his early thirties, Stephen Fry - writer, comedian, star of stage and screen - had, as they say, 'made it'. Much loved in A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster, author of a critically acclaimed and bestselling first novel, The Liar, with a glamorous and glittering cast of friends, he had more work than was perhaps good for him. What could possibly go wrong?Then, as the 80s drew to a close, he discovered a most enjoyable way to burn the candle at both ends, and took to excess like a duck to breadcrumbs. Writing and recording by day, and haunting a never ending series of celebrity parties, drinking dens, and poker games by night, in a ludicrous and impressive act of bravado, he fooled all those except the very closest to him, some of whom were most enjoyably engaged in the same dance.He was - to all intents and purposes - a high functioning addict. Blazing brightly and partying wildly as the 80s turned to the 90s, AIDS became an epidemic and politics turned really nasty, he was so busy, so distracted by the high life, that he could hardly see the inevitable, headlong tumble that must surely follow . . .Containing raw, electric extracts from his diaries of the time, More Fool Me is a brilliant, eloquent account by a man driven to create and to entertain - revealing a side to him he has long kept hidden.Stephen Fry is an award-winning comedian, actor, presenter and director. He rose to fame alongside Hugh Laurie in A Bit of Fry and Laurie (which he co-wrote with Laurie) and Jeeves and Wooster, and was unforgettable as Captain Melchett in Blackadder. He also presented Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, his groundbreaking documentary on bipolar disorder, to huge critical acclaim. His legions of fans tune in to watch him host the popular quiz show QI each week.

'One of the most important American novels of the twentieth century' The Times'It is sometimes advantageous to be unseen, although it is most often rather wearing on the nerves'Ralph Ellison's blistering and impassioned first novel tells the extraordinary story of a man invisible 'simply because people refuse to see me'. Published in 1952 when American society was in the cusp of immense change, the powerfully depicted adventures of Ellison's invisible man - from his expulsion from a Southern college to a terrifying Harlem race riot - go far beyond the story of one individual to give voice to the experience of an entire generation of black Americans.This edition includes Ralph Ellison's introduction to the thirtieth anniversary edition of Invisible Man, a fascinating account of the novel's seven-year gestation.With an Introduction by John F. Callahan'Brilliant' Saul Bellow

Fashion may be fabulous, but what price true luxury? With incredible access to the glamorous world of the luxury brand, Deluxe goes deep inside the workings of today's world of profit margins and market share to discover the fate of real luxury. From the importance of fashion owners, to red carpet stars and the seasonal 'must-have' handbags, Dana Thomas shows how far illustrious houses have moved from their roots. Thomas witnesses how these 'luxury' handbags are no longer one in a million, discovers why luxury brand clothing doesn't last as long, and finds out just who is making your perfume. From terrifying raids on the Chinese sweat shops to the daunting chic of Paris workshops, from the handcrafting and economics of early-twentieth century designers to the violent truth behind the 'harmless' fakes, Deluxe goes deep into the world of extravagance, and asks: where can true luxury go now?

'A heart-breaker . . . it has the kind of indefinably powerful impact of The Great Gatsby' Observer'The surprise bestseller ... read, loved and wept over by men and women of all ages' Guardian'A tale of young love and disenchantment, of missed opportunities and passion's elusive, flickering flame' Financial TimesHer dark eyes were lost in thought, absently staring into the distance, drawing on a last wisp of hope as she searched for something that she was almost certain she would never find.'The magical novel about a Turkish man who falls in love with an artist in 1920s Berlin ... recreates a vanished era and dramatises a doomed relationship with verve, depth and poignancy. The result is a miniature masterpiece' The National'Moving and memorable, full of yearning and melancholy' The Times'A tale of young love and disenchantment, of missed opportunities and passion's elusive, flickering flame' Financial Times'A gorgeously melancholic romance' Irish Times

'Amazing' GuardianFrom the on-screen experts for BBC2's Cat Watch, and based on their groundbreaking research - this is the ultimate guide to making your cat a happier, more sociable animal.The idea of a trained cat is a contradiction in terms, isn't it? Naturally solitary, wary, easily threatened by newcomers, they are attached to place rather than people, and much of their 'antisocial' behaviour arises in situations where that attachment is threatened. But, as cat experts Sarah Ellis and John Bradshaw argue, such stress-induced behaviour can be prevented, reduced, even eliminated, by training.A comprehensive and engaging step-by-step guide, The Trainable Cat will help you to help your cat negotiate the complexities of everyday life: to enjoy living with humans - including new babies and lively toddlers - and other pets; to answer to their name; settle into a new home; and to overcome the anxiety of a visit to the vet. You can train your cat to do what is in its own best interests - even when its instincts tell it otherwise. 'I doubt you'll find a more well-informed or scientific book on cats that better shows you how feline thinking works' The Times

Describing Tolstoy's crisis of depression and estrangement from the world, A Confession is an autobiographical work of exceptional emotional honesty. It describes his search for 'a practical religion not promising future bliss but giving bliss on earth'. Although the Confession led to his excommunication, it also resulted in a large following of Tolstoyan Christians springing up throughout Russia and Europe. Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

A historical romance, Sontag's book is based on the lives of Sir William Hamilton, his wife, Emma, and Lord Nelson in the final decades of the eighteenth century. Passionately examining the shape of Western civilization since the Age of Enlightenment, Sontag's novel is an exquisitely detailed picture of revolution, the fate of nature, art and love.

Both heartwarming and meditative, The Cat Inside explores not only the personal relationship between Burroughs and cats, but the deeper relationship of cats with mankind, which Burroughs traces back to the Egyptians. This book of moving and witty discourse is for both Burroughs fans and cat lovers alike.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire is the tale of a catastrophic confrontation between fantasy and reality, embodied in the characters of Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski. 'I have always depended on the kindness of strangers'Fading southern belle Blanche DuBois is adrift in the modern world. When she arrives to stay with her sister Stella in a crowded, boisterous corner of New Orleans, her delusions of grandeur bring her into conflict with Stella's crude, brutish husband Stanley Kowalski. Eventually their violent collision course causes Blanche's fragile sense of identity to crumble, threatening to destroy her sanity and her one chance of happiness.Tennessee Williams's steamy and shocking landmark drama, recreated as the immortal film starring Marlon Brando, is one of the most influential plays of the twentieth century.This Penguin Modern Classics edition includes an introduction by Arthur Miller.'Lyrical and poetic and human and heartbreaking and memorable and funny'Francis Ford Coppola, director of The Godfather'One of the greatest American plays'Observer

In 922 AD, an Arab envoy from Baghdad named Ibn Fadlan encountered a party of Viking traders on the upper reaches of the Volga River. In his subsequent report on his mission he gave a meticulous and astonishingly objective description of Viking customs, dress, table manners, religion and sexual practices, as well as the only eyewitness account ever written of a Viking ship cremation.Between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, Arab travellers such as Ibn Fadlan journeyed widely and frequently into the far north, crossing territories that now include Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Their fascinating accounts describe how the numerous tribes and peoples they encountered traded furs, paid tribute and waged wars. This accessible new translation offers an illuminating insight into the world of the Arab geographers, and the medieval lands of the far north.