Prin u?ile l?sate vrai?teDe cei ce nu se mai ?ntorcPrin pere?ii pe care i?i zg?riar?ViseleD? buzna glasul mul?imiiCare se zbateDeja prins? ?ntre fireleIscusitei urzeli a paianjenilorPoliticiThrough the wide-open doorsBy those who never returnThrough the walls on which they’d scratchedTheir dreamsThe voice barges through from a crowdWhich is strugglingAlreadz trappedIn the skillfullz/woven webOf the spiders of politics

Sonetul contondentCelor doi / poe?i de mare soi...(Istrate ?i Murgeanu)Visam c? Marea-?i p?r?sea ghioculCu-al s?u tumult de valuri euxine?i, h?t-departe-n zonele alpine,Ca-n Cretaceu, ??i reg?sise locul...Priveam de-acuma fascinat la joculDe valuri ?n?esate de jivineDin vremuri disp?rute, care-n fine,??i ?ncercau, o dat?-n plus, norocul.Sim?eam o dulce binecuv?ntareC?-n groapa euxinic? ad?nc?O Mare Neagr? nu exist? ?nc?,Nici Casa Scriitorilor la mare;Nici doi poe?i cu barb?, bur?i ?i plete,S?-n?ire contondentele sonete.

Al Doilea R?zboi Mondial nu va ajunge niciodat? s?-?i dezv?luie ?ntreaga groz?vie. ?n spatele faptelor de arme, al atrocit??ilor ?i al crimelor monstruoase comise ?mpotriva civililor se ascunde o alt? realitate. Aceea a miilor de femei sovietice trimise pe front ?mpotriva inamicului nazist. Svetlana Aleksievici ?i-a dedicat ?apte ani din via?? colect?rii m?rturiilor unor femei care, multe dintre ele, la momentul acela erau abia ie?ite din copil?rie. Dup? primele sentimente de euforie, asist?m la o schimbare radical? de ton, pe m?sur? ce ajungem la ?ncercarea fatal? a luptei, ?nso?it? de partea sa de ?ntreb?ri ?i de suferin??. Abandon?nd t?cerea ?n care ?i-au g?sit refugiul, aceste femei ?ndr?znesc, ?n sf?r?it, s? prezinte r?zboiul a?a cum l-au tr?it. ?Svetlana Aleksievici este unul dintre cei mai valoro?i scriitori ai vremurilor noastre. Proza ei nu este feminin?, ci aspr? precum r?zboiul […], dar, prin expresivitatea ei, devine artistic?, palpabil?, profund emo?ionant?.” – Vladimir Voinovici

Michael Faraday (1791 –1867) was an English scientist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His main discoveries include those of electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism and electrolysis. Although Faraday received little formal education, he was one of the most influential scientists in history. It was by his research on the magnetic field around a conductor carrying a direct current that Faraday established the basis for the concept of the electromagnetic field in physics. Faraday also established that magnetism could affect rays of light and that there was an underlying relationship between the two phenomena. He similarly discovered the principle of electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism, and the laws of electrolysis. His inventions of electromagnetic rotary devices formed the foundation of electric motor technology, and it was largely due to his efforts that electricity became practical for use in technology. As a chemist, Faraday discovered benzene, investigated the clathrate hydrate of chlorine, invented an early form of the Bunsen burner and the system ofoxidation numbers, and popularised terminology such as anode, cathode, electrode, and ion. Faraday ultimately became the first and foremost Fullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, a life-time position.. Faraday was an excellent experimentalist who conveyed his ideas in clear and simple language; his mathematical abilities, however, did not extend as far as trigonometry or any but the simplest algebra. James Clerk Maxwell took the work of Faraday and others, and summarized it in a set of equations that is accepted as the basis of all modern theories of electromagnetic phenomena. On Faraday's uses of the lines of force, Maxwell wrote that they show Faraday "to have been in reality a mathematician of a very high order – one from whom the mathematicians of the future may derive valuable and fertile methods." The SI unit of capacitance is named in his honour: the farad. Albert Einstein kept a picture of Faraday on his study wall, alongside pictures of Isaac Newton and James Clerk Maxwell. Physicist Ernest Rutherford stated; "When we consider the magnitude and extent of his discoveries and their influence on the progress of science and of industry, there is no honour too great to pay to the memory of Faraday, one of the greatest scientific discoverers of all time". ABOUT AUTHOR: John Tyndall (1820 – 1893) was a prominent 19th-century Irish physicist. His initial scientific fame arose in the 1850s from his study of diamagnetism. Later he made discoveries in the realms of infrared radiation and the physical properties of air. Tyndall also published more than a dozen science books which brought state-of-the-art 19th century experimental physics to a wide audience. From 1853 to 1887 he was professor of physics at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London. Tyndall was born in Leighlinbridge, County Carlow, Ireland. His father was a local police constable, descended from Gloucestershire emigrants who settled in southeast Ireland around 1670. Tyndall attended the local schools in County Carlow until his late teens, and was probably an assistant teacher near the end of his time there. Subjects learned at school notably included technical drawing and mathematics with some applications of those subjects to land surveying. He was hired as a draftsman by the Ordnance Survey of Ireland in his late teens in 1839, and moved to work for the Ordnance Survey for Great Britain in 1842. In the decade of the 1840s, a railroad-building boom was in progress, and Tyndall's land surveying experience was valuable and in demand by the railway companies. Between 1844 and 1847, he was lucratively employed in railway construction planning. In 1847 Tyndall opted to become a mathematics and surveying teacher at a boarding school (Queenwood College) in Hampshire. Recalling this decision later, he wrote: "the desire to grow intellectually did not forsake me; and, when railway work slackened, I accepted in 1847 a post as master in Queenwood College." Another recently arrived young teacher at Queenwood was Edward Frankland, who had previously worked as a chemical laboratory assistant for the British Geological Survey. Frankland and Tyndall became good friends. On the strength of Frankland's prior knowledge, they decided to go to Germany to further their education in science. Among other things, Frankland knew that certain German universities were ahead of any in Britain in expe-rimental chemistry and physics. (British universities were still focused on classics and mathematics and not laboratory science.)The pair moved to Germany in summer 1848 and enrolled at the University of Marburg, where Robert Bunsen was an influential teacher. Tyndall studied under Bunsen for two years.

Biografia sugereaz?, ?n chip aproape inevitabil, prin relatarea cronologic? a faptelor vie?ii acelui individ, ?ncep?nd de la na?tere ?i continu?nd cu experien?ele tr?ite pe parcursul anilor, c? evenimentele respective au avut o importan?? mai larg?, mai cuprinz?toare dec?t cele ale unui om oarecare, c? au contribuit, ?ntr-un fel sau altul, la scrierea istoriei acelor vremuri. ?n cazul lui Napoleon Bonaparte, merit? s? ne aplec?m ?i asupra mitologiei, ad?ug?nd-o impresiei generale, create de-a lungul deceniilor de nenum?ra?i istorici ?i biografi, conform c?reia ceea ce a contat ?n principal a fost omul ?nsu?i, viziunile ?i ambi?iile sale, ?i nu vremurile ?n care a tr?it ori circumstan?ele ?nt?lnite ?n cale. Pu?ine personaje istorice s-au bucurat de at?ta notorietate ?i de at?tea scrieri dedicate ?i pu?ine au fost descrise ?ntr-o manier? at?t de subiectiv?, prezent?nd ?ntrega istorie a epocii de parc? ar fi fost o reflectare a voin?ei ?i a dorin?ei de putere ?i de glorie a unui singur om. Din acest motiv poate c? ar fi mai ?n?elept ca, ?nainte de orice, s? ne oprim un pic ?i s? ?ncepem aceast? carte cu un soi de avertisment.

Romanul e captivant, bine scris, n ciuda unor efuziuni retorice prea lungi pe alocuri, care puteau fi scurtate. Un text elaborat de ctre un crturar, cu lecturi din Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Jung sau Dostoievski fcute n profunzime, temeinic. n consecin, e un roman n care simbolurile apar la tot pasul, incifrate n text, n tehnica unui modernism hermeneutic care nu poate fi scos din ecuaie (…). Strict tehnic, ne aflm n faa unui Bildungsroman construit pe un scenariu clasic, de iniiere: tnrul Matei (toate numele sunt luate din Biblie…) interiorizeaz sfietor, dramatic moartea prematur a tatlui su, David, pierdut ntr-un accident de main pe Valea Oltului, se afl n conflict deschis cu mama sa, Riri, femeie pragmatic, dar intrat n faza unui deficit de cldura uman, mascat prin nervozitate, i i fixeaz ntreaga afeciune pe fiina compensativ a bunicului, Grig, mort i el spre sfritul romanului, i pe aceea a profesorului universitar Semion Ruda, stilat, elevat, aristorcatic, un concitadin de ocazie i tat-surogat, cruia, n cele din urm, protagonistul romanului i datoreaz relansarea intelectuala – viitor student n filosofie – i formarea literar, ca romancier, talentul compensativ al scrisului descoperindu-i-l oarecum fr premeditare sau ndemnuri din afar, ca pe o efervescen intern a propriei sale fiine. (tefan Borbély)Viaa cotidian este transferat n interioritate, iar tensiunile generatoare de suspans sunt direcionate ctre aceeai nevoie urgent de a deveni. Eroii Aurei Christi sunt fpturi aflate ntre lumi, ntre vrste, ntre maluri. (Irina Ciobotaru)Intenia vdit a autoarei este aceea de a explora personajele pn n adncul firii lor, astfel nct nu aciunea s stea n prim-plan, ci caracterele. (Bogdan Mihai Dasclu)

Aceasta nu este o arc? a salv?rii, a speran?ei, a regener?rii suflete?ti, nici locul ?n care personaje-kamikaze arunc? ?n jur ?n timpul sacrificiului lor, bun?tate, generozitate, bl?nde?e, ?n?elepciune, cump?tare. E o arc? simbolic?. Fictiv?, sau e chiar lumea noastr? condamnat? s? pluteasc? ?n deriv? pe un ocean sub care p?nde?te un tzunami apocaliptic? Da, ?ntr-adev?r, Breban nu neglijeaz? nici o specie, sunt toate conservate aici, e destul s? ?nl?turi dificila, fragila ?i totu?i rezistenta perdea ?esut? din mii de pagini de carte, ca s? descoperi o umanitate crud?, pe care mul?i dintre noi, dintre cititori sau autori avem tendin?a de a o evita, tendin?a de a o machia, de a-i face opera?ii estetice… Arca are capaciatatea de a re?nvia din cenu?a ?i de a ne propune o c?l?torie imaginar? spre o alt? dimensiune, ?ncerc?nd s?-i salveze deopotriv? pe credincio?i ?i pe atei, pe puternici ?i pe cei slabi, pe victime ?i pe c?l?i, pe mae?tri ?i pe discipoli, pe slugi ?i pe st?p?ni. Tu alegi de care parte vrei s? te afli, ?n afara arcei, pe arc? sau ?n structura ei intim? fragil? ?i totu?i rezistent?, capabil? s? te duc? spre cele mai insolite teritorii care ?nc? nu au fost inventate ?i pe care doar acul busolei lui Breban le indic? ?i le plaseaz? pe o hart? altfel inaccesibil?.

Edi?ia de fa?? o reproduce ?ntocmai pe cea din 1966 care a v?zut lumina tiparului la Editura pentru literatura ?i este menit? s? repun? – laolalt? cu alte titluri editate de noi – ?n circula?ie numele ?i opera unui mare profesor de filosofie ?i a unui important om de cultur? din perioada interbelice. Edi?ia este structurat? pe c?teva capitole, cum ar fi bun?oar? ?Amintiri din copil?rie ?i tinere?e“, ?Amintiri culturale, didactice ?i politice“, cuprinz?nd, ?ntre altele, ?i coresponden?a cu Titu Maiorescu, conferin?e ?i cursuri ?inute la Viena, Paris, Geneva, Praga, Oslo ?i Bruxelles. ?Petrovici a avut o via?? fracturat?. ?ntr-o vreme, a urcat n? pe Everestul performan?ei ?i al recunoa?terii publice, de unde, atunci c?nd istoria s-a virusat de o ideologie apocaliptic?, s-a pr?bu?it direct ?n groapa Marianelor, b?ntuit? de tot felul de silnicii ?i nes?buin?e. Mult? vreme s-a am?git cu in?elesul m?ng?ietor al filosofiei, a?a cum i-l h?r?zise cei vechi, dar s-a ?i ?nfiorat de mizeriile ei, atunci c?nd a v?zut-o dec?zut? ?n condi?ia de surogat ideologic. Oare trebuia, dup? ce a privit lumea prin sp?rtura pe?terii lui Platon, s-o p?ndeasc? ?i din spatele gra?iilor ?i ale z?voarelor trase? Vremurile noi, rascolnice, l-au g?sit total nepreg?tit. Glasul s?u, obi?nuit s? peroreze ?n aule universitare, ?n Camera, ?n Academie, ?n cadrul unor fastuoase reuniuni interna?ionale a fost, pentru multe decenii, obligat la t?cere.“ (Ionel Necula)

Un fast spectacol despre feminitate, moarte ?i alte teme eterne, ne ofer? de ast? dat? redutabilul eseist, istoric ?i critic literar Irina Petra?, despre care Marin Mincu scria c? este ?cel mai “b?rbat“ critic al nostru“. ?Demersul constituie o modalitate de a-?i apropia moartea, propria moarte, de a o studia sub lupa m?ritoare, de a o ?ine deliberat, zi de zi, ceas de ceas, al?turi, ?n imediata proximitate, pentru a te impulsiona s? fii c?t mai mult, c?t mai decis ?n spirit, pentru a te determina s? te investe?ti ?n toate cu ?ntreaga-?i fiin??, una dintre limitele c?reia e moartea-cea-cotidian?, pentru a te remodela, sim?ind atingerea botului mor?ii, pentru a recurge la travaliul dep??irii de sine prin crea?ie. A nu te obi?nui cu vecin?tatea mor?ii, obi?nuindu-te ?n acela?i timp, a realiza eficienta ei, adun?ndu-te, sporindu-?i eficien?a, a fi, ?n pofida con?tiin?ei tragice a finitudinii umane – iat? o piatr? de ?ncercare, iat? un examen major, la care au c?zut nu pu?ini. Cei ce-au rezistat constituie pentru Irina Petra? un fast obiect de studiu, care, fiind cercetat cu acribia unui colec?ionar, nelipsit de o redutabil? experien?? ?n domeniu, alc?tuiesc o galerie acoperit? cu oglinzi, ?n care, v?z?nd reflectat propriul univers, propriile spaime, frici, angoase, nelini?ti, autorul se supune, el ?nsu?i, din spirit de fair play, dar ?i dintr-un subtil, rafinat amestec de sado-masochism intelectual, unui examen: ?i va rezista co?ul pieptului? va ?ti sa r?spund?? dar s? reziste? Ei, mon?trii sacri… au rezistat, descriind modul ?n care se men?in pe muchia abisului, ?n care ?i-au v?zut propriul chip, contemplat de cineva…“ (Aura Christi)

Editorul, criticul ?i istoricul literar clujean Irina Petra? propune lectorilor un studiu despre locurile favorite din literatura rom?n? ?i cea universal?, paginile de teorie literar? oferind nu pu?ine repere asupra predilec?iilor clasicilor autohtoni de la Eminescu ?i Creang? p?n? la Norman Manea ?i Marta Petreu. Cartea se adreseaz? elevilor, studen?ilor, precum ?i publicului larg de cititori.

Lidia Lazu semneaz? o poezie delicat-confesiv?, parcelat? pe momente distincte, cu o structur? de jurnal. De?i termenul structur? e oarecum inadecvat acestei materii de fr?gezimi ce se transcriu ca atare, f?r? grija unei osaturi, a unui tipar ce i-ar st?njeni fluiditatea, evanescent?. Fiin?a respir? neconstr?ns? de nimic, supus? doar clipei, ?nc?nta?iei tranzitoriului. A?tept?rile sale sunt naiv-fabuloase, ?n continuitatea unei copil?rii care nu s-a epuizat, care-?i tr?ie?te intens uimirile, dezvolt?ndu-le fin imaginativ... O atare autoscopie fantezista este rodul unei virtuozit??i a simplit??ii. Coeziunea textului se produce ?n jurul acestei neputin?e de a accepta ordinea pragmatic?, meschin?ria, ?n numele unei candori funciare. La polul opus criticismului luciferic, poeta se d?ruie lumii nu doar prin contempla?ie, ci ?i printr-un soi de automatism existen?ial, l?s?ndu-se ?n voia lui, sublim lipsit? de voin??. Ceea ce e o moral? a extazului. (Gheorghe Grigurcu)

Proiectul acestei cri m frmnta de mai muli ani. n ultimul timp am tot cutat motivaii pentru care o asemenea carte merit s fie scris. Iat ce am gsit.n primul rnd, chiar dac printr-o fereastr foarte ngust, ea este o mrturie a ultimilor 20 de ani. Conine o frm din istoria acestor dou decenii, mici instantanee ale devenirii Romniei dup 1989.n al doilea rnd, exist n mintea fiecrui romn – i aici m includ i pe mine – preconcepia c toate afacerile postrevoluionare sunt mnjite, nscute din privatizri dubioase sau dezvoltate la umbra unor reele de influen care-i ntind rdcinile n era comunist. Povestea din aceast carte arta contrariul. S-au putut constitui i iniiative independente i curate, cum sunt convins c mai exist cu miile. Povestea de fa poate fi o contribuie la schimbarea de mentalitate, att de necesar pentru intrarea n normalitate.“ (Mihail Penescu)

Alexandru Sf?rlea arat? ?ntr-o recent? recenzie a versiunii tip?rite a c?r?ii 101 poeme: ?[...] S? mai spun c? unii ?i al?ii s-au ?inspirat? din texte ale lui Vasile Poenaru pentru a-?i etala ?prospe?imile? propriilor crea?ii, ?n vreme ce acest excelent poet st?tea ?pitit? sub obrocul impasibilit??ii ?i ignor?rii tenace a criticilor?Pentru c?, ?n via?a noastr? literar?, am ajuns s? cred c? asemenea practici sunt uzitate cu... sistem?, ca s? zic a?a, pentru ca lipsi?ii de har ?i inspira?ie, proteja?ii ?i coteri?tii s?-?i ?edifice? constructele de chirpici lingvistic, cu o jalnic? ?i penibil? non?alan??, cu un tupeu de-a dreptul incalificabil!Se vorbe?te cu asiduitate ?n presa literar? despre c?r?i ale unor a?a-zi?i nou?zeci?ti sau dou?mii?ti lipsite de semnifica?ii, sens ?i substan?ialitate poetic? ?i care pur ?i simplu bat apa-n piu? ?i nu spun nimic dec?t, poate, celor ce nu vor s? aud? nimic, adul?nd – ?ntr-un nefericit paradox – nevolniciile , nonsensurile ?i vacuitatea, ?n timp ce sunt ignorate cu cerbicie c?r?i valoroase ale unor autentici poe?i, precum Vasile Poenaru. Iat? , ?nc? un elocvent fragment poenaristic: ?Mergeam pe str?zi de lung? diminea??/ Cu p?inea mea de poezie sub bra?,/ Mergeam pe str?zi de lung? diminea??/ ?i m? ardeau de foame ochii min?ii/ Mergeam pe str?zi de lung? diminea??/ Tot forfoteau p?rerile sub pietre/ Din loc ?n loc o balt? de adverbe/ Ca p?s?rile clocotitor ardeau/ Spre vie?i izvor?toare-n alte trupuri/ Mergeam pe str?zi de lung? diminea??/ ?i nu se mai cr?pa odat’ de ziu? / ?i m? ardeau de foame ochii min?ii/ ?i-am ?nceput s?-mi rod ?nt?i din unghii/ Apoi din os din inim? din creier/ Mergeam pe str?zi de lung? diminea?? (...)? (R?sfirare). Sau, ?nc?, ni?te versuri de-a dreptul subversive – s? nu uit?m c? volumul din care citez a ap?rut ?n 1984 – care, poate c? fie ?i numai acestea, ar fi trebuit s?-i r?m?n? precum o aur? de zv?cnire iconoclast?, de nu protestatar?, poetului Vasile Poenaru: ?(...) Ora?ul ?n care m-ai ademenit/ E o sonat? a mor?ii/ ?n care doar miezul vie?ii trozne?te,/ Toat? noaptea am s? ard de frig ?n avanscen?/ C-un dirijor mai lent ca o statuie (...)??n fine, ce pot s? mai spun dec?t c? – ?n acest areal literar rom?nesc care seam?n? izbitor cu cel politicesc – poetul Vasile Poenaru este un mare nedrept??it, pe care cititorii one?ti, dac? ar ajunge, sau ar vrea s? ?i citeasc? volumele de poezie, l-ar pre?ui la adev?rata sa valoare...“

On 27 August 1979, Paul Burns’ life changed forever. Travelling through Warren Point in Northern Ireland when the IRA detonated two massive bombs, he was involved in a devastating explosion--eighteen soldiers were killed that day; Paul was one of only two who survived. His story is a remarkable tale of one man’s determination to make the most of his life against the odds.

Straddling humour, trivia and sport, ‘Notorious’ brings together for the first time one hundred of the most potty sportsmen in history. From boxing to cycling, soccer to baseball, and most sports in between, here are the hard-men and the criminals, the psychos and the loonies, that make up the sporting madness hall of shame. Among the prime candidates for sporting lunacy in this book: Prinya Charoenpal, one of the most talented kick-boxers in the sport’s history, who wore make-up and pink nail polish, broke down when asked to strip for the weigh-in, pummelled the opponent who made the mistake of mocking her with a camp embrace, and who fought solely to get the money for a sex-change operation. Jack ‘Hacksaw’ Reynolds, the San Francisco 49-ers linebacker during the 80s, who once got plastered after losing a college game, went out to the car park with a hacksaw, and cut someone’s car in half. The Brazilian football star Edmundo, infamous on the pitch for beating up fans, referees and journalists, and making his name off it by crashing his truck and killing three people, and being arrested for force-feeding beer to a chimpanzee at his son’s birthday party. And there’s more. The rugby league hard-man with a predilection for sticking a rigid digit finger up opponents’ rears on the field of play; the baseball Hall of Famer who wielded his bat to beat up unsuspecting victims; the golfer hospitalised three times for alcohol poisoning, who came through two suicide attempts, three divorces, plus countless hotel room trashings and suspensions; the Irish jockey involved in an air rage incident who copped 110 hours of community service… And closer to home, the likes of Roy Keane, Alex Higgins, Vinnie Jones and Paul Gascoigne are also featured in this wildly captivating, and often shocking, collection of crazed sports celebrities.

WINNER OF THE 2013 SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION WINNER OF THE 2013 DUFF COOPER PRIZE WINNER OF THE POLITICAL BOOK AWARDS POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR 2014 WINNER OF THE 2013 COSTA BOOK AWARDS BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR The story of Gabriele D’Annunzio, poet, daredevil – and Fascist. In September 1919 Gabriele D’Annunzio, successful poet and occasional politician, declared himself Commandante of the city of Fiume in modern day Croatia. His intention – to establish a utopia based on his fascist and artistic ideals. It was the dramatic pinnacle to an outrageous career. Lucy Hughes-Hallett charts the controversial life of D’Annunzio, the debauched artist who became a national hero. His evolution from idealist Romantic to radical right-wing revolutionary is a political parable. Through his ideological journey, culminating in the failure of the Fiume endeavour, we witness the political turbulence of early 20th century Europe and the emergence of fascism. In ‘The Pike’, Hughes-Hallett addresses the cult of nationalism and the origins of political extremism – and at the centre of the book stands the charismatic D’Annunzio: a figure as deplorable as he is fascinating.

The amazing tale of a resourceful and unscrupulous early-19th-century American adventurer who forges his own kingdom in the wilds of Afghanistan. In the year 1838, a young adventurer, surrounded by his native troops and mounted on an elephant, raised the American flag on the summit of the Hindu Kush and declared himself Prince of Ghor, the heir to Alexander the Great. Josiah Harlan, the first American to set foot in Afghanistan, would become the model for Kipling’s ‘The Man Who Would be King’, but the true story of his life is stranger than fiction. A soldier, spy, doctor, naturalist and writer, Harlan set off into the wilds of Central Asia after a failed love affair in 1820. Following a brief stint as a surgeon in the East India Company’s army, he joined the court of the deposed Afghan monarch Shah Shujah, and then slipped into Kabul disguised as a Muslim priest to foment rebellion. For the next two decades he would play a pivotal role in the bloody politics of the region. Using a trove of newly discovered documents, including Harlan’s long-lost journals, Ben Macintyre has followed Harlan’s footsteps to uncover an astonishing, untold chapter in the history of the Great Game. If you enjoyed William Dalrymple’s ‘Return of a King’, ‘Josiah the Great’ should be on your reading list.

The remarkable true story of ‘Big Red,’ one of America’s finest racehorses. When her beloved Meadow Stables is faced with closure following her father’s illness, housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over. Despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge she calls in assistance from trainer Lucien Laurin and a host of successful jockeys. Pitted against the Phipps’ racing dynasty, Penny takes the decision to breed her mare Somethingroyal to the Phipps’ Bold Ruler, the nation’s favourite stallion. With the toss of a coin it is agreed that one family will take Somethingroyal’s first foal with the losing stable taking the colt out of Hasty Matelda and Somethingroyal’s second foal. Penny loses the toss, but the wait for the unborn foal proves fortuitous when a bright red chestnut colt is born, Secretariat. Nicknamed “Big Red,” with Laurin’s guidance, Penny manages to navigate the male-dominated business of horse racing, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be the greatest racehorse of all time. Now, more than 30 years after its initial publication, the story of "Big Red" continues to be a classic. Secretariat is the tale of a great racehorse but also a testimony to the dedication of Penny Chenery. Following her triumph with Secretariat she was elected as the first female member of The Jockey Club, changing the face of American horse racing forever.

‘Why couldn’t I be a perfumer’s muse? I’ve come such a long way in the realm of scent. In fact, I was never really meant to poke my nose into it …’ The Perfume Lover by Denyse Beaulieu is an intimate journey into the mystery of scent. What if the most beautiful night in your life inspired a fragrance? Denyse Beaulieu is a respected fragrance writer; it is her world, her love, her life. When she was growing up, perfume was forbidden in her house, spurring a childhood curiosity that went on to become an intellectual and sensual passion. It is this passion she pursued all the way to Paris, where she now lives, and entered the secretive world of the perfume industry. But little did she know that it would lead her to achieve a fragrance lover’s wildest dream … When Denyse tells a famous perfumer of a sensual night spent in Seville under an orange tree in full blossom, wrapped in the arms of a beautiful young man, the story stirs his imagination and together they create a scent that captures the essence of that night. This is the story of that perfume. As the unique creative collaboration unfolds, the perfume-in-progress conjures intimate memories, leading Beaulieu to make sense of her life through scents. Throughout, she weaves the evocative history of perfumery into her personal journey, in an intensely passionate voice: the masters and the masterpieces; the myths and the myth-busting, down to the molecular mysteries that weld our flesh to flowers… The Perfume Lover is an unprecedented account of the creative process that goes into composing a fragrance, and a uniquely candid insider’s view into the world and history of fragrance. Your world will never smell the same.

An indispensible guide to raising your new puppy from the author of The Dog Listener. From teething to training, this book follows the development of your puppy from new pet to best friend. In The Puppy Listener Jan Fennell presents a simple-to-follow yet detailed handbook for puppy owners. Whether this is your first pup or you are a seasoned dog-owner, the hints and tips in this concise guide are valuable and well informed. This handy guide follows the life of your puppy from weaning to walking. Jan Fennell covers every aspect of caring for your new best friend – from introducing a puppy into its new home and handling it in public, to dealing with behavioural problems. With detailed sections on everything from exercise to diet, there are problem-solving guides dealing with worries such as biting or anxiety. Once again Jan illustrates her points with entertaining and inspiring real-life cases from her own work with damaged and delinquent dogs. Her love of animals is contagious and she inspires owners to persevere with their pups and show them who is boss. The book contains photographs and plate sections which accompany the text.

Just after ‘Bring Up the Bodies’ author Hilary Mantel won the Man Booker for ‘Wolf Hall’, she fell gravely ill. This is her remarkable hospital diary. Originally published in the London Review of Books, this diary by the acclaimed author Hilary Mantel explores in forensic detail her loss of dignity, her determination, the concentration of the senses into an animalistic struggle to get through, and the attendant hallucinations she was plagued by during her stay in hospital. With her health now improved, and the acknowledgement of the Man Booker prize-winning follow-up to ‘Wolf Hall’, ‘Bring Up the Bodies’ as one of our greatest works of fiction, ‘Ink in the Blood’ remains a significant testament to the traumas of illness, and one of the most incredible and haunting essays published in a very long time.