WINNER OF THE SUNDAY TIMES ALAN PATON AWARD

In the spring of 1999, in the beautiful and seemingly tranquil hills of the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, a young white farmer is shot dead on the dirt road running from his father's farmhouse to his irrigation fields. The murder is the work of assassins rather than robbers.

Journalist Jonny Steinberg travels to the midlands to investigate. It is clear that the young white man is not the only one who will die and that the story of his and other deaths will illuminate a great deal about the early days of post-apartheid South Africa.

Midlands is a triumph of literary investigative journalism.

The successful evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Belgium and northern France through the port of Dunkirk and across adjacent beaches is rightly regarded as one of the most significant episodes in the nation's long history, although Winston Churchill sagely cautioned in Parliament on 4th June that the country "must be careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory. Wars are not won by evacuations". Nevertheless, the Dunkirk evacuation, Operation "Dynamo", was a victory and, like many others before it, it was a victory of sea power. The Royal Navy achieved what it set out to do, despite grievous losses, in the teeth of determined opposition. It denied an aggressive and ruthless continental power a potentially war-winning total victory that could have changed the direction of civilization for generations to come. The loss of the main British field army would have enfeebled the nation militarily and psychologically, prompting political upheaval, potentially resulting in a negotiated peace with Nazi Germany on unfavourable terms dictated by Adolf Hitler. The undeniable success of the evacuation was certainly a crucial naval and military achievement but its positive effect on the nation's morale was just as important, instilling confidence in the eventual outcome of the war, whatever the immediate future might hold, and creating optimism in the face of adversity that added "the Dunkirk spirit" to the English language. This edition of Dunkirk, Operation "Dynamo" 26th May - 4th June 1940, An Epic of Gallantry, publishes the now declassified Battle Summary No 41, a document once classified as 'Restricted' and produced in small numbers only for official government purposes. This Summary, The Evacuation from Dunkirk, lodged in the archive at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, is one of the very few surviving copies in existence and records events in minute detail, being written soon after the evacuation using the words of the naval officers involved. This makes it a unique record and a primary source for the history of Operation "Dynamo" from mid-May 1940 until its conclusion on 4th June. The original document has been supplemented in this title by a Foreword written by Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent, formerly the Royal Navy's Commander-in-Chief, Fleet, whose father commanded one of the destroyers sunk off Dunkirk when rescuing troops. In addition, there is a modern historical introduction and commentary, putting the evacuation into context and this edition is enhanced by the inclusion of a large number of previously unpublished photographs of the beaches, town, and harbour of Dunkirk taken immediately after the conclusion of the operation, together with others illustrating many of the ships that took part. Britannia Naval Histories of World War II - an important source in understanding the critical naval actions of the period.

One of the most famous writers of all time, George Orwell's life played a huge part in his understanding of the world. A constant critic of power and authority, the roots of Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four began to grow in his formative years as a pupil at a strict private school in Eastbourne. His essay Such, Such Were The Joys recounts the ugly realities of the regime to which pupils were subjected in the name of class prejudice, hierarchy and imperial destiny. This graphic novel vividly brings his experiences at school to life. As Orwell earned his place through scholarship rather than wealth, he was picked on by both staff and richer students. The violence of his teachers and the shame he experienced on a daily basis leap from the pages, conjuring up how this harsh world looked through a child's innocent eyes while juxtaposing the mature Orwell's ruminations on what such schooling says about society. Today, as the private school and class system endure, this is a vivid reminder that the world Orwell sought to change is still with us.

An intimate account of one family's astonishing bravery in the face of brutality, as well as perhaps the outside world's only real glimpse of what it is like to live inside the terror of Mugabe's Zimbabwe Ben Freeth has an extraordinary story to tell. Like that of many white farmers, his family's land was "reclaimed" by Mugabe's government for redistribution--but Ben's family fought back. Appealing to international law, they instigated a suit against Mugabe's government in the SADC, the Southern African equivalent of NATO. The case was deferred time and again while Mugabe's men applied political pressure to have the case thrown out. But after Freeth and his parents-in-law were abducted and beaten within inches of death in 2008, the SADC deemed any further delay to be an obstruction of justice. The case was heard, and successful on all counts. But the story doesn't end there--in 2009, the family farm was burned to the ground. The fight for justice in Zimbabwe is far from over; this book is for anyone who wants to see into the heart of one of today's hardest places, and how human dignity flourishes even in the most adverse circumstances.

Brighton in the 1870s is a popular tourist destination, but when little Sidney Barker dies mysteriously from Strychnine-poisoned chocolates the town is thrown into panic. Could it have been an accident or is someone out to harm Brighton? When more children start being poisoned by packets of sweets they find lying about the town and strange parcels of arsenic-laced cakes are sent to prominent Brighton residents the police step up the search for a serial poisoner. Who is determined to take revenge on the town? Brighton policeman, Inspector Gibbs, finds himself on the toughest case he has ever faced with what at first appears to be a motiveless crime, but as he delves into the lives of the victims he realises there is cold calculation behind the poisonings. His hunt takes him into the dark side of middle-class poverty, family insanity, and the Victorian obsession with sex and scandal.

What are the hidden factors that motivate armies to prevail and conquer against all the odds? What is it that encourages soldiers to perform unbelievable acts of courage even when the odds against them look overwhelming? The words of inspired leaders and generals are often the key factor. Sometimes it is just the soldier on ground who sums up the situation best. It would seem that the day of the set-piece conventional battle is over. For centuries their format changed little. Even if this scenario has now changed, the need for leaders to communicate in times of adversity has not. Words of War covers an immense breadth - from Ancient Greece, Alexander the Great, mediaeval battles, the American Civil War, the two World Wars through to 21st century conflicts. Words of War highlights the fascinating contrasts in style and content of military and political leaders (most absorbing of all are the extraordinary differences, and also some of the similarities it has to be said, between the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and German leader Adolf Hitler during WWII). Interspersed with the longer speeches are brief quotes, insightful one-liners and the light-hearted look at conflict. All throw some light onto what words drive heroic deeds in the face of adversity.

An extraordinary account of one woman's single-minded campaign to restore a Victorian steamship to her former glory and make her an Andean attraction Here is a vivid account of Meriel Larken's incredible quest to restore the "Yavari" steamship against the odds--a ship that is now celebrating its 150 year anniversary in 2012. In 1862 the English-built "Yavari" was taken to bits and shipped to South America. In an epic logistical feat it was carried in thousands of pieces, by mule, up the Andes to Lake Titicaca, 12,500 feet above sea level, the world's highest navigable waterway. She was reconstructed and for more than a century plied her trade up and down the lake, but by 1985 she was a sad rotting hulk--until she was found by Larken, who led the quest to project to restore and preserve the ship. The oldest single screw iron passenger ship in the world, this nautical and engineering jewel is now a major Peruvian tourist attraction.

The unsung hero of the equestrian world is the riding school horse or pony. Whether you are an Olympic showjumper, a long-distance riding competitor, a horse racing jockey or a mum who plods out on a Sunday, you most likely began your career on a riding school horse. Tippy joined my riding school in 2005. This is her true story.