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Books > Fiction > Genre fiction > Adventure / thriller > Historical adventure
Uniquely among authors of naval fiction, Patrick O’Brian allows his characters to develop with experience. The Jack Aubrey of Treason’s Harbour has a record of successes equal to that of the most brilliant of Nelson’s band of brothers, and he is no less formidable or decisive in action or strategy. But he is wiser, kinder, gentler too. Much of the plot of Treason’s Harbour depends on intelligence and counter-intelligence, a field in which Aubrey’s friend Stephen Maturin excels. Through him we get a clearer insight into the life and habits of the sea officers of Nelson’s time than we would ever obtain seeing things through their own eyes. There is plenty of action and excitement in this novel, but it is the atmosphere of a Malta crowded with senior officers waiting for news of what the French are up to, and wondering whether the war will end before their turn comes for prize money and for fame, that is here so freshly and vividly conveyed.
Following the extraordinary success of The Yellow Admiral, this latest Aubrey-Maturin novel brings alive the sights and sounds of North Africa as well as the great naval battles in the days immediately following Napoleon?s escape from Elba. Aubrey and Maturin are in the thick of the plots and counterplots to prevent his regaining power. Coloured by conspiracies in the Adriatic, in the Berber and Arab lands of the southern shores of the Mediterranean, by night actions, fierce pursuits, slave-trading and lion hunts, The Hundred Days is a masterpiece.
It is still the War of 1812. Patrick O'Brian takes his hero Jack Aubrey and his tetchy, sardonic friend Stephen Maturin on a voyage across the South Atlantic to intercept a powerful American frigate outward bound to play havoc with the British whaling trade. If they do not come up with her before she rounds the Horn they must follow her into the Great South Sea and as far across the Pacific as she may lead them. It is a commission after Jack's own heart. Maturin has fish of his own to fry in the world of secret intelligence. That the enemy is in fact faithfully dealt with no one who has the honour of Captain Aubrey's acquaintance can take leave to doubt. "If O'Brian's novels have become a cult, this is because they are truly addictive…They are, quite magnificently, adventure yarns, whose superb authenticity never distracts from the sheer thrill of the action." "The truth is that we aficionados scarcely feel them to be novels at all. They are a world of their own, a world full of excitement, mystery, charm and good-manners."
Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin, veterans of many battles, return in this novel to the seas where they first sailed as shipmates. But Jack is now a senior Captain commanding a line-of-battle ship sent out to reinforce the squadron blockading Toulon, and this is a longer, harder, colder war than the dashing frigate action of his early days. A sudden turn of events takes him and Stephen off on a hazardous mission to the Greek islands. All his old skills of seamanship, and his proverbial luck when fighting against odds, come triumphantly into their own. The book ends with as fierce and thrilling an action as any in this magnificent series of novels.
A stunning novel of courage, camaraderie and deadly enemies from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Centurion and The Emperor's Exile. AD 59. BRITANNIA. TENSION IS SIMMERING. DANGER LIES ROUND EVERY CORNER FOR ROME'S BRAVE SOLDIERS ... Fifteen years after Rome's invasion of Britannia, centurion Marco is back. The island is settled now, bustling with commerce. Macro's goal is to help run his mother's Londinium inn, and exploit his land grant. He's prepared for the dismal weather and the barbaric ways of the people. But far worse dangers threaten all his plans. A gang led by an ex-legionary rules the city, demanding protection money and terrorising those who won't pay up. The Roman official in charge has turned a blind eye. Macro has to act. He needs the back-up of the finest soldier he knows: Prefect Cato. But Cato is in distant Rome. Or is he? As the streets run red with blood, the army's heroes face an enemy as merciless and cunning as any barbarian tribe. The honour of Rome is in their hands ... For readers of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Ben Kane - unputdownable fiction from an author who knows the Roman world like no other. IF YOU DON'T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON'T KNOW ROME Praise for the Eagles of the Empire novels: 'Scarrow's novels rank with the best' Independent 'Blood, gore, political intrigue' Daily Sport 'Always a joy' The Times (P) 2021 Headline Publishing Group Limited
Jack Aubrey returns from his duties protecting whalers off the South American coast and is persuaded by a casual acquaintance to make investments in the City on the strength of supposedly certain information. From there he is led into the half-worlds of the London criminal underground and of government espionage – the province of his friend, Stephen Maturin. Devoted readers of Patrick O'Brian will find here all the brilliance of characterisation and all the sparkle of dialogue they have come to expect from a novelist often described as 'Jane Austen 'sur mer''. For those who will read him for the first time there will be the pleasure of discovering a novelist of unique character. "While his stories tell of men at war, he is a novelist of great gentleness of spirit. A pervasive serenity, a generosity towards human frailty, are among the qualities which have made his books irresistible. ..He is the most brilliant historical novelist of modern times." "These novels are a brilliant achievement. They display staggering erudition on almost all aspects of eighteenth-century life."
Jack West Jr has made it to the Supreme Labyrinth. Now he faces one last race - against multiple rivals, against time, against the collapse of the universe itself - a headlong race that will end at a throne inside the fabled labyrinth. But the road will be hard. For this is a maze like no other: a maze of mazes. Uncompromising and complex. Demanding and deadly. It all comes down to this. It ends here - now - in the most lethal and dangerous place Jack has encountered in all of his many adventures. And in the face of this indescribable peril, with everything on the line, there is only one thing he can do. Attempt the impossible.
You know the names and the stories, but you've never seen them like this before! My Name Was Never Frankenstein: And Other Classic Adventure Tales Reanimated brings your favorite characters back to life in new and exciting escapades. In this inventive collection, a stellar cast of writers uses classic adventure tales as a launch pad for an eclectic mix of prequels, alternate universes, spin-offs, and total reboots. Imagine Ahab is shipwrecked on an island of cannibals, or Mr. Hyde tells his side of the story, or the scarecrow from Oz struggles with the mystery of his existence. By turns wry and haunting, My Name Was Never Frankenstein upends old territory and classic characters to reclaim them for a new generation.
Captain Jack Aubrey sails away from the hated Australian prison colonies in his favourite vessel, the 'Surprise', pondering on middle age and sexual frustration. He soon becomes aware that he is out of touch with the mood of his ship: to his astonishment he finds that in spite of a lifetime's experience, he does not know what the foremost hands, or even his own officers are thinking. They know, as he does not, that the 'Surprise' has a stranger on board: and what they, for their part, do not know is that the stranger is potentially as dangerous as a light in the powder magazine itself. 'Few books so entertaining and readable are based on such strong research and grasp of human nature. One moment you laugh out aloud at comedy rooted in character, and the next, storming adventure or danger grips you by the throat…good writing allied to must-read-on storytelling.' 'Thank god for Patrick O'Brian. His genius illuminates the literature of the English language and lightens the lives of those who read him.'
From the million-copy Sunday Times bestseller comes a breathtaking story of family secrets and forbidden love. Idyllic Cornwall, a lost garden, a love story from long ago . . . A hundred years ago, Lamorna Cove, a tiny, picturesque bay in Cornwall, was the haunt of a colony of artists. Today, Mel Pentreath hopes it will be a place she can escape the pain of losing her mother and a broken love affair, and gradually put her life back together. Renting a cottage in the enchanting grounds of Merryn Hall, Mel embraces her new surroundings and offers to help her landlord Patrick restore the overgrown garden. Soon she is daring to believe her life can be rebuilt. Then Patrick finds some old paintings in the attic, and as he and Mel investigate the identity of the artist, they are drawn into an extraordinary tale of illicit passion and thwarted ambition from a century ago, a tale that resonates in their own lives. But how long can Mel's idyll last before reality breaks in and everything is threatened? Praise for Rachel Hore: 'Compelling, engrossing and moving; a perfect holiday indulgence' SANTA MONTEFIORE 'Fascinating, hugely readable . . . Rachel Hore's research and her mastery of the subject is deeply impressive' JUDY FINNIGAN 'Engrossing and romantic, it's a wonderful story of family secrets and the choices women make' JANE THYNNE 'Another of this year's top offerings' Daily Mail 'Pitched perfectly for a holiday read' Guardian 'A tender and thoughtful tale' Sunday Mirror 'A romantic read' Good Housekeeping 'A perfect escapist treat for your next holiday - if you can wait that long' Eastern Daily Press
SHARPE IS BACK. The global bestseller Bernard Cornwell returns with his iconic hero, Richard Sharpe. If any man can do the impossible it's Richard Sharpe . . . Lieutenant-Colonel Sharpe is a man with a reputation. Born in the gutter, raised a foundling, he joined the army twenty-one years ago, and it's been his home ever since. He's a loose cannon, but his unconventional methods make him a valuable weapon. So when, the dust still settling after the Battle of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington needs a favour, he turns to Sharpe. For Wellington knows that the end of one war is only the beginning of another. Napoleon's army may be defeated, but another enemy lies waiting in the shadows - a secretive group of fanatical revolutionaries hell-bent on revenge. Sharpe is dispatched to a new battleground: the maze of Paris streets where lines blur between friend and foe. And in search of a spy, he will have to defeat a lethal assassin determined to kill his target or die trying . . .
'What a heroine Endurance Proudfoot is! I loved her from the start. An unconventional woman who takes us on a fascinating - if bumpy - ride through a man's world. I laughed, cried and most of all cheered! Can't stop thinking about it... an absolute cruncher of a tale' Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal 'A complete joy of a novel that, like it's wonderful protagonist's namesake, is a story of endurance against all odds. Full of heart and so eloquently written, THAT BONESETTER WOMAN had me cheering Durie on from start to finish - I absolutely loved it' Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora It's usual, they say, for a young person coming to London for the first time to arrive with a head full of dreams. Well, Endurance Proudfoot did not. When she stepped off the coach from Sussex, on a warm and sticky afternoon in the summer of 1757, it never occurred to her that the city would be the place where she'd make her fortune; she was just very annoyed to be arriving there at all. Meet Endurance Proudfoot: clumsy as a carthorse, strong as an ox, with a tactless tongue and a face she's sure only a mother could love. Durie wants one thing in life: to become a bonesetter like her father. It's physically demanding work, requiring nerves of steel, and he's adamant it's not a job for a woman. Strong-willed and stubborn, Durie's certain that in bonesetting, her big, usually clumsy hands have found their natural calling. So when she's bundled off to London with her beautiful sister, she won't let it stop her realising her dream. As her sister finds fame on the stage, Durie becomes England's most celebrated bonesetter - but what goes up must come down, and her success may become her undoing. Inspired by the true stories of two of Georgian England's most famous celebrities, That Bonesetter Woman is an uplifting tale about finding the courage to go your own way, when everyone says you can't - and about realising that what makes you different can also make you strong. Praise for That Bonesetter Woman: 'Durie Proudfoot is a brilliant heroine: stubborn, flawed and so entertaining to spend time with. I loved every step of her journey, and Frances Quinn is fast becoming one of my favourite historical novelists' Louise Hare 'I adored every second of this book - historical fiction at its finest, and Quinn is a natural storyteller. Quirky, funny and original. Durie and her lions will stay with me' Ericka Waller 'I feel as if I left a little bit of my heart between the pages of this extraordinary book' Nicola Gill 'Filled with hope and humour, That Bonesetter Woman is a novel that truly champions the underdog. I devoured it with as much gusto as the inimitable heroine sets people's bones' Polly Crosby 'That Bonesetter Woman is a wonderfully uplifting, charming, addictive and unusual story. Quinn delivers astute and acutely observed aspects of human behaviour delivered with great humour and compassion. Replace the coffee houses and newspaper scribblers with Twitter and YouTube and I'd say, not so much has changed!' Louise Fein 'Frances Quinn has done it again! Georgian London is vividly brought to life in a fast-paced story full of quirky characters, wry wit, warmth and wisdom. I was completely charmed!' Anita Frank
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE'S ENCORE AWARD 2018 LONGLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE 2018 'A sheer fantastical delight' The Times 'Epic' New York Times 'An immense treat' Observer Books of the Year 'A fast-paced adventure story' The i 'Magical' Sunday Express In uncharted Peru, the holy town of Bedlam stands at the edge of a mysterious forest. Deep within are cinchona trees, whose bark yields the only known treatment for malaria. In 1859, across the Pacific, India is ravaged by the disease. In desperation, the India Office dispatches the injured expeditionary Merrick Tremayne to Bedlam, under orders to return with cinchona cuttings. But there he meets Raphael, an enigmatic priest who is the key to a secret which will prove more valuable than they could ever have imagined.
Sergeant Richard Sharpe witnesses a murderous act of treachery and, with Sir Arthur Wellesley, faces the Mahratta Horde. The paths of treachery all lead to the small village of Assaye. Outnumbered and outgunned, Wellesley, with a diminished British army, plunges his men into the white heat of battle. A battle that will make his reputation, and perhaps Sharpe's too. Soldier, hero, rogue - Sharpe is the man you always want on your side. Born in poverty, he joined the army to escape jail and climbed the ranks by sheer brutal courage. He knows no other family than the regiment of the 95th Rifles whose green jacket he proudly wears.
The Hundred Years' War is over and newly-knighted Sir John Hawkwood is headed for France to make his fortune as a freebooter. Violence and extortion are rife, and the freebooters will stop at nothing to capture the Papal City of Avignon. This is only the beginning: Italy beckons, and with it, yet more battles against rival mercenaries, powerful cities and the Papal State.
'Heart-pounding action' THE TIMES. FRANCE: 1356. Ten years ago, the greatest army in Christendom was slaughtered at Crecy. Archer Thomas Blackstone stood his ground and left that squalid field a knight. He has since carved out a small fiefdom in northern France, but the wounds of war still bleed and a traitor has given the King of France the means to destroy the English knight and his family. As the traitor's net tightens, so the French King's army draws in. Blackstone will stand and fight. He will defy his friends, his family and his king. He may yet defy death, but he can't defy his destiny: MASTER OF WAR.
'A gripping chronicle of pitched battle, treachery and cruelty' ROBERT FABBRI. Tuscany, 1358: Thomas Blackstone has built a formidable reputation in exile, fighting as a mercenary amid the ceaseless internecine warring of Italy's City States. But success has bred many enemies, and when a dying man delivers a message recalling him to England, it seems almost certain to be a trap. Yet Blackstone cannot disobey - the summons is at the Queen's demand. On his journey, Blackstone will brave the terrors of the High Alps in winter, face the Black Prince in tournament, confront the bloody anarchy of a popular revolt and submit to trial by combat. And every step of the way, he will be shadowed by a notorious assassin with orders to despatch him to Hell. |
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