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Being diagnosed with cancer, even an incurable form, isn't
necessarily the end of the world. Having lived with multiple
myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow, for three years (and still
counting!) the author shows that with a positive attitude and the
right support it is still possible to cope and enjoy life. The book
is intended to illustrate this to anyone finding themselves in a
similar situation, to thank all who have helped him, a
self-confessed coward, to keeping going, and to raise money for
appropriate charities. The story begins with his admission to
hospital where he spent five months, during which time he had an
operation to remove at tumour from his spine, began radiotherapy
and chemotherapy treatments and almost died from a combination of
pneumonia and septic shock. A transfer to a nursing-home for seven
months followed, bringing with it more setbacks before he was able
to move back home. Three years after his initial diagnosis, he is
still defying the odds and he tells his tale in such a
light-hearted way that despite the seriousness of the subject
matter the overall feeling that the reader is left with is a very
positive one and no-one could fail to be affected by such a
heart-warming account. The author was diagnosed with an incurable,
though thankfully treatable, form of cancer just before his 61st
birthday while serving his notice after forty-three years working
for the Lancashire Library service. This is the heart-warming and
surprisingly amusing story of how this self-confessed coward
managed to overcome his lifelong phobia of anything medical with
the help of Su, his wife of almost forty years, his family and a
loyal band of friends so that he continues to enjoy his retirement,
though maybe not quite in the same way as he and Su might have
expected it to be.
Iain Crichton Smith was a prolific and accomplished writer in
English and Gaelic, as well as a capable dramatist, again in both
languages, but it is as a poet above all that his reputation will
endure. His principal collections are in English: Thistles and
Roses (1961), Deer on the High Hills (1962), The Law and the Grace
(1965), Hamlet in Autumn (1972), The Village and Other Poems (1989)
and The Leaf and the Marble (1989); and in Gaelic Biobuill is
Sanasan-Reice (Bibles and Adverts) (1965), Eadar Fealla-Dha is
Glaschu (Between Fun and Glasgow) (1974) and Na h-Eilthirich (The
Exiles) (1983). In them his subject matter deals with the
Highlands, Scotland and the wider world and demonstrates
familiarity with the literature of Europe and America and the
literary movements of his time. This double CD contains recordings
of Iain Crichton Smith reading his poems. Introductions and
commentary by John Blackburn cover the major themes of his career:
the struggle between light and dark and his ambivalent attitude
towards religion, sometimes oppressive, sometimes full of grace. It
is an excellent resource for home or classroom study, as well as
providing an opportunity to hear one of the great poets of the
twentieth century reading his own work.
Iain Crichton Smith was one of the foremost poets of the 20th
century, writing in English and Gaelic. His poetry often concerns
itself with unsentimental views of life in the Western Highlands
and Islands, and his dislike of, and opposition to, dogmatic
authority. John Blackburn's SCOTNOTE study guide analyses the
religious, political and historical themes and patterns of Crichton
Smith's work, and is a suitable guide for senior school pupils and
students at all levels.
'John Blackburn is today's master of horror, and this latest novel,
about a village gripped by the culmination of ancient vileness,
induces proper shivers.' - "Times Literary Supplement"
'He is certainly the best British novelist in his field and
deserves the widest recognition.' - "Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror
and the Supernatural"
' A] stylish, genuinely chilling author . . . undoubtedly one of
England's best practicing novelists in the tradition of the
thriller novel.' - "St. James Guide to Crime & Mystery Writers"
For centuries, the small English village of Dunstonholme has been
the scene of mysterious tragedies. Local lore traces these strange
events back to the year 1300, when a sect of Christian heretics
known as the Children of Paul were involved in a bloody massacre.
Since that time, there have been railway disasters, mining
accidents, shipwrecks, and other terrible happenings. Now a wave of
suspicious deaths has the locals on edge and looking for
explanations. Dr. Tom Allen and adventurer J. Moldon Mott think
they know what is behind the killings: an ancient evil, dating back
seven hundred years, lies hidden underground . . . and it is
preparing to emerge to the surface . . .
John Blackburn (1923-1993), the author of twenty-eight bestselling
thrillers, has been hailed by "The Times Literary Supplement" as
'today's master of horror.' In his classic "Children of the Night"
(1966), reprinted here for the first time in 40 years, Blackburn
updates medieval legends and folklore to create a bone-chilling
tale of modern-day horror that is among his very best.
"Our only current writer who can induce such terror as the Grimm
Brothers did." - "Times Literary Supplement"
"He is certainly the best British novelist in his field and
deserves the widest recognition." - "Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror
and the Supernatural"
" A] stylish, genuinely chilling author ... undoubtedly one of
England's best practicing novelists in the tradition of the
thriller novel." - " St. James Guide to Crime & Mystery
Writers"
Bill Easter is a petty criminal with a little problem of a 2000
overdraft that he has no means of covering. Fortunately, the bank
manager has a problem of his own and needs Bill's help: the corpse
of Henry Oliver, a very hairy 350 lb. mass murderer known as the
"Mad Vicar," is decomposing in his basement and he wants it
removed. Among Oliver's papers, Bill finds a tantalizing reference
to treasure that leads him to the Scottish isle of Rhona, where he
meets the intrepid General Charles Kirk of British Foreign
Intelligence and the arrogant adventurer J. Moldon Mott. Kirk has
uncovered a bizarre plot involving the KGB, ex-Nazi mad scientists,
and the "mad monk" Rasputin, while Mott is hot on the trail of a
stolen gold treasure. And when they discover the island is being
overrun by werewolves, their trip to the remote island will become
a very beastly business indeed
"A Beastly Business" (1982) features the trademark blend of
mystery, adventure, and horror that made John Blackburn (1923-1993)
one of the most acclaimed British thriller writers of his
generation. One of the scarcest of Blackburn's books and long
unobtainable, "A Beastly Business" is reprinted here for the first
time ever.
' B]lack comedy doesn't come blacker . . . This is Gothic diablerie
with a smile - a very nasty smile, as though a Charles Addams
character had escaped from his picture and perpetrated an elaborate
practical joke in prose.' - "The Guardian"
' A] semi-surrealist, pseudo-Gothic adventure . . . Read on if you
can; I could.' - "The Observer"
'John Blackburn is deservedly well established as a . . . thriller
writer. "The Cyclops Goblet," his twenty-third, shows no falling
off: it is admirably assured, and as admirably exciting.' -
"British Book News"
Bill Easter and his common law wife Peggy Tey, two small-time
crooks down on their luck, have been hired to help steal the
legendary treasure of Renaissance goldsmith Guido Calamai.
Calamai's masterpiece, the Cyclops Goblet, rumoured to possess the
power to kill whoever drinks from it, is under lock and key at the
Danemere Museum, the gift of the rich and eccentric millionaire Sir
Thomas Moscow. But when the goblet is discovered to be a fake, Bill
and Peggy must locate the real treasure, and to find it, they'll
need to break Sir Thomas's daughter, a murderous madwoman, out of
an asylum. From there, the trail leads to a remote Scottish island
contaminated with anthrax, where the treasure - and the shocking
truth behind its deadly power - is hidden. Unprepared for the
horror they will uncover, will Bill and Peggy survive to enjoy
their big payday, or will they become the next victims of the
Cyclops Goblet?
John Blackburn (1923-1993) was regarded as the best British horror
writer of his time, but in "The Cyclops Goblet" (1977), he shows a
different side, infusing a thrilling heist story with elements of
horror and dark humour. This first-ever republication of the novel
includes a new introduction by Greg Gbur.
'Our only current writer who can induce such terror as the Grimm
Brothers did.' - "Times Literary Supplement"
'Lots of unguessable surprises.' - "The Observer"
'He is certainly the best British novelist in his field and
deserves the widest recognition.' - "Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror
and the Supernatural"
' A] stylish, genuinely chilling author . . . He can be depended
upon to sustain swift, sure, exciting, and absorbing stories . . .
undoubtedly one of England's best practicing novelists in the
tradition of the thriller novel.' - "St James Guide to Crime &
Mystery Writers"
'Come back Paddy Reilly to me' - the words of an old Irish ballad
provide a sinister theme for John Blackburn's sixteenth novel, "The
Household Traitors" (1971). No one has seen or heard from Patricia
Reilly in more than thirty years, so why are a ruthless industrial
tycoon, a Soviet defector, and a deranged serial killer all so
anxious to find her? The trail of mystery leads from a town
terrorized by murder to a remote railway station in North Wales,
where the action reaches a climax aboard a runaway steam train.
Along the way, a hijacked aircraft, a corpse in a safe, and a
number of strangled women with something strange in common provide
some of the clues, but the final secret is reserved for the last
pages of this ingenious thriller. This is the first-ever reprint of
"The Household Traitors," a page-turner with a 'strong Grand
Guignol finish' (The Guardian) by 'today's master of horror' (Times
Literary Supplement).
'Our only current writer who can induce such terror as the Grimm
Brothers did.' - "Times Literary Supplement"
'He is certainly the best British novelist in his field and
deserves the widest recognition.' - "Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror
and the Supernatural"
' A] stylish, genuinely chilling author ... He can be depended
upon to sustain swift, sure, exciting, and absorbing stories ...
undoubtedly one of England's best practicing novelists in the
tradition of the thriller novel.' - "St James Guide to Crime &
Mystery Writers"
An inexplicable wave of murders has the country gripped with
terror. Ordinary men and women are suddenly going mad, committing
brutal and horrific killings before slaying themselves in equally
gruesome ways. General Charles Kirk of British Foreign Intelligence
thinks the case has something to do with the most evil man he has
ever encountered: Tommy Ryde, a British spy who defected to the
Nazis during the Second World War and who seemed to possess a
strange hypnotic power. But Ryde has been dead for forty years - or
has he? Kirk and his colleague Bill Easter are determined to find
out. The trail takes them first to Berlin to seek answers from a
notorious Nazi war criminal, then to an underwater search of a
sunken U-boat off the Scottish coast, and finally to the torture
chambers beneath a madman's Gothic castle in Dartmoor, where they
will come face to face with the living incarnation of evil ...
The last of the prolific John Blackburn's twenty-eight novels,
"The Bad Penny" (1985) features the trademark blend of mystery,
adventure, and horror that made him one of the most acclaimed
British thriller writers of his generation. The scarcest of
Blackburn's books and long unobtainable, "The Bad Penny" is
reprinted here for the first time ever.
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Blue Octavo (Paperback)
John Blackburn; Introduction by Mike Ripley
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R580
Discovery Miles 5 800
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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Young bookseller John Cain has inherited stock from curmudgeonly
dealer James Roach after he appears to have committed suicide. But
Cain is unconvinced that Roach really died by his own hand,
especially considering the alleged suicide followed the dead man's
strange behavior at an auction where Roach had grossly overbid on a
thin blue volume about mountain climbing. The book appeared to be
as exciting as its title, 'Grey Boulders', but why had Roach been
so obsessed with owning it and why is it now missing from Roach's
collection?
'This is an historical novel in the grand manner . . . A lot of
research must have gone into the work, and the result is wholly
satisfactory.' - "The Guardian"
'The versatile John Blackburn has deserted one kind of horror for
quite another, diabolism for divinity.' - "Times Literary
Supplement"
'An accomplished writer.' - "The Spectator"
The year is 37 A.D., and Rome faces a dangerous threat in the form
of a new religion whose doctrines could undermine the entire
foundation of the Empire. Sextus Marcellus Ennius, one of Rome's
top spies, is dispatched to Jerusalem to investigate this cult and
discredit its founder, a criminal named Jesus-bar-Joseph, who was
rumoured to possess supernatural powers and reputedly rose from the
dead after his execution. But as Sextus searches for the truth, he
will be faced with dangers on all sides: the intrigues of the mad
Emperor Caligula, traitors among his fellow Romans, and murderous
religious zealots. And when he finally unravels the mystery, the
truth is more terrible than he could have ever imagined . . .
Regarded by many critics as the best British horror writer of his
time, John Blackburn (1923-1993) was the author of nearly thirty
thrillers that blended the genres of horror, mystery, and science
fiction in unique and inventive ways. "The Flame and the Wind"
(1967), his most ambitious work, is an epic historical novel
infused with elements of mystery and horror, told in the
page-turning style for which he is known. This edition includes a
new introduction by Greg Gbur and Bill Botten's striking black and
white dust jacket art from the first edition.
"The story has a nightmarish excitement and maintains a brilliant
pace . . . the best of its kind this season." - "Detroit News"
" S]pine-chilling . . . a far-reaching plot linking the horror
camps of the Nazis, the frozen wastes of Russia and the work of
British Secret Intelligence. . . . T]his is 'must' reading for
horror fans." - "Calgary Herald"
"I began to read: and then read and read and read." - John
Creasey, "Books of the Month"
"Good, insomniac science-fiction." - "Listener"
With a plot featuring Cold War intrigue, Nazi mad scientists, and
a pandemic that threatens to destroy humanity by mutating people
into fungoid monsters, it is not hard to see why "A Scent of
New-Mown Hay" (1958) became a bestseller on both sides of the
Atlantic and an instant science-fiction classic. After a British
ship's crew and a remote Russian village are wiped out in
mysterious and horrible fashion, General Charles Kirk of British
Foreign Intelligence sets out to investigate. As the plague spreads
to England, Kirk's frantic search leads him from the desolate
tundra of Russia to the ruins of a Nazi camp, the site of
unthinkable wartime atrocities. But who is responsible? Is it a
Soviet experiment gone horribly wrong, the work of a depraved
madman, or something else entirely? And can it be stopped?
In this, his first and still best-known novel, the prolific John
Blackburn (1923-1993) introduced the formula he was to employ so
successfully in his career, seamlessly blending mystery, horror,
and science fiction to create a thrilling bestseller that readers
found impossible to put down. This edition, the first in more than
thirty years, includes a new introduction by Prof. Darren
Harris-Fain and a reproduction of the scarce original jacket art by
Peter Curl.
'A real creepy crawly ... Recommended to those who like their
thrills chilled.' - "Evening Standard"
'John Blackburn lives right up to his reputation for the eerie and
the sinister.' - "The Guardian"
'A stylish, genuinely chilling author. Blackburn's devils do not
loom vaguely in the background, but seem unstoppable and are among
the most malevolent portrayals in the genre.' - "St James Guide to
Crime and Mystery Writers"
'An accomplished writer.' - "Spectator"
Three directors of the Van Traylen Fellowship have died in
gruesome ways, and now a bus carrying children to the Fellowship's
orphanage has crashed, killing the driver and injuring
seven-year-old Mary Valley. While in hospital, Mary, the daughter
of triple murderess Anna Harb, suffers horrifying nightmares, and
psychiatrist Peter Haynes believes she is mentally ill. Is it
schizophrenia, or is there another explanation for the strange and
vivid images she sees: memories of a past life, psychic possession,
or psychological trauma from her lunatic mother's attempts to give
her occult powers? When Anna Harb goes on a murderous rampage at
the hospital, trying to kill Mary and exclaiming that she is a
'soul that should never have been born', the mystery deepens.
General Charles Kirk of Foreign Intelligence and his friend Marcus
Levin, an esteemed scientist, believe Harb is connected with the
Van Traylen deaths and are determined to solve the case. They will
follow the madwoman to a remote Scottish island, where against the
backdrop of a blazing Guy Fawkes night bonfire, a sinister and
unthinkable truth will be revealed
John Blackburn (1923-1993) was unrivalled at blending the genres
of mystery, horror, and science fiction into chilling, page-turning
thrillers, and "Nothing but the Night" (1968) is one of his best
and most frightening. This new edition, the first in over forty
years, includes a new introduction by Greg Gbur.
'John Blackburn is today's master of horror.' - "Times Literary
Supplement"
'Achieves a delicious sense of nausea.' - "The Guardian"
' G]iant monsters . . . products of a mutation . . . bubonic
plague ' - "The Observer"
'He is certainly the best British novelist in his field and
deserves the widest recognition.' - "Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror
and the Supernatural"
A remote area of the Scottish Highlands has been cordoned off and
is being guarded by an army of I.R.A. mercenaries and ex-Nazi
thugs. Local rumour has it that eccentric laird James Fraser Clyde
is looking for buried treasure, but the British government fears he
might be building an atomic bomb in an attempt to win Scottish
independence. Yet the truth may be something far worse: a
mysterious contagion is turning the locals into deformed, grunting
creatures, with a single-minded urge to kill and spread their
infection. Sir Marcus Levin, the Nobel Prize-winning
bacteriologist, must find a way to halt the epidemic before it gets
out of hand and destroys the world. But what is causing it? Who
started it, and why? And can it be stopped?
First published in 1976, John Blackburn's horror thriller "The
Face of the Lion" capitalized on the popularity of apocalyptic
zombie tales in the wake of George Romero's "Night of the Living
Dead" (1968). This edition includes a new introduction by Greg
Gbur, which situates Blackburn's novel within the tradition of
zombie literature.
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Broken Boy (Paperback)
John Blackburn; Introduction by Greg Gbur
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R582
Discovery Miles 5 820
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Ships in 10 - 15 working days
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"Our only current writer who can induce such terror as the Grimm
Brothers did." - "Times Literary Supplement"
"A real chiller. . . . The book moves rapidly from beginning to
end and Hitchcock ought to be advised. It would make a heck of a
movie." - "Evening News"
"He is certainly the best British novelist in his field and
deserves the widest recognition." - "Penguin Encyclopedia of Horror
and the Supernatural"
When a dead prostitute is found floating in the river, the local
police assume it's just another routine murder. But when it turns
out the woman may have been a notorious East German spy, General
Charles Kirk and his assistants, Michael Howard and Penny Wise, are
called in from the Foreign Intelligence Office to investigate. Kirk
is baffled: the evidence of numerous impeccable witnesses proves
the murder could not possibly have happened, and yet there's a dead
body in the morgue to show that it did. The only clue is a wooden
idol in the form of a hideous, misshapen boy, found in the dead
woman's room. Soon Kirk realizes that this is no case of espionage:
what he is up against is an evil centuries old and long thought
vanished from the earth. And when Kirk and his colleagues get close
to the truth, can they unravel the mystery before they become the
next victims?
John Blackburn (1923-1993) was the author of more than thirty
popular thrillers in which he blended the genres of mystery,
horror, and science fiction in unique and often brilliant ways.
Although recognized as the best British horror writer of his time,
his works have been sadly neglected since his death. This new
edition of "Broken Boy" (1959), Blackburn's third novel, includes a
new introduction by Greg Gbur.
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This
IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced
typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have
occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor
pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original
artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe
this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections,
have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing
commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We
appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the
preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
Title: The Overland Traveller, or Guide to persons proceeding to
Europe via the Red Sea, from India. With maps.]Publisher: British
Library, Historical Print EditionsThe British Library is the
national library of the United Kingdom. It is one of the world's
largest research libraries holding over 150 million items in all
known languages and formats: books, journals, newspapers, sound
recordings, patents, maps, stamps, prints and much more. Its
collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial
additional collections of manuscripts and historical items dating
back as far as 300 BC.The HISTORY OF TRAVEL collection includes
books from the British Library digitised by Microsoft. This
collection contains personal narratives, travel guides and
documentary accounts by Victorian travelers, male and female. Also
included are pamphlets, travel guides, and personal narratives of
trips to and around the Americas, the Indies, Europe, Africa and
the Middle East. ++++The below data was compiled from various
identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title.
This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure
edition identification: ++++ British Library Blackburn, John; 1838.
70, 24, xii. p.; 8 . 10056.bbb.12.
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book
may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages,
poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the
original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We
believe this work is culturally important, and despite the
imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of
our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works
worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in
the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.
This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy
Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive
selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to
reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional
imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor
pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues
beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we
have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting,
preserving and promoting the world's literature.
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