British Life

Ruby Lennox begins narrating her life at the moment of conception, and from there takes us on a whirlwind tour of the 20th century as seen through the eyes of an English girl determined to learn about her family and its secrets.

Sourcebooks is bringing the internationally acclaimed New York Times bestseller back for a new generation of listeners. Jennie Churchill was not merely Winston’s mother. She was the most captivating and desired woman of her age. Originally from Brooklyn, Jennie became the reigning queen of British society. Beautiful and defiant, she lived with an honesty that made her the talk of two continents.

Jane Cleveland and Prudence Bates were close friends at Oxford University, but now live very different lives. Forty-one-year-old Jane lives in the country, is married to a vicar, has a daughter she adores, and lives a very proper life in a very proper English parish. Prudence, a year shy of 30, lives in London, has an office job, and is self-sufficient and fiercely independent - until Jane decides her friend should be married. Jane has the perfect husband in mind for her former pupil: a widower named Fabian Driver.

There are some who would argue that in the 21st Century a monarchy, of any description, is an outdated institution, but paradoxically, it only takes the merest hint of a Royal scandal or conspiracy for the world press to be in hot pursuit of the story. What’s more, any newspaper or magazine fortunate enough to get a Royal exclusive, even in our modern age, is guaranteed to increase circulation dramatically, suggesting that there is as much interest in the monarchy as there has ever been. So how did it all begin? Well, for the British, the answer to that question is quite simply when the ...

When you look back in history at royal romances, surprising as it may seem, few have happy ever after endings, and in many instances the idea of “Love and Marriage” being inextricably linked is not quite as common as you might at first think. In fairy stories handsome Kings and Princes regularly sweep fair maidens off their feet, transforming them into Princesses and Queens, and although a rarer occurrence, a Royal Princess can create a Prince out of the most unpromising of characters! From King Arthur through to Prince Charles and Diana, Royal Romances - The British Monarchy gives you ...

Anybody who visits London at the height of the summer will soon realize that the United Kingdom’s capital city attracts sightseers from every far-flung corner of the globe. And what’s on their list of attractions to see? Nine times out of ten it will be Buckingham Palace, often followed by the Tower of London, and since the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997, her former residence, Kensington Palace. In an age when the monarchy, British or otherwise, is accused of being an outdated institution, the tourists still flock in their millions to follow in the footsteps of Royalty...

The secret baby JAFF you didn’t know you wanted! The night of the Netherfield Ball, Fitzwilliam Darcy watches Elizabeth Bennet dance twice with Mr. William Collins and knows what the man intends. When Mr. Darcy’s own dance with the lady in question goes disastrously, he despairs of ever wooing her from the man who duty demands she wed. He takes solace in absinthe, as one does. Elizabeth is not the least bit pleased at the prospect of marrying Mr. Collins and begins drinking heavily, too. When a very inebriated Mr. Darcy appears and takes her off to his room, she doesn’t resist. She ...

Matthew Repington has sworn off love. He's also decided that finding a wife is no longer a priority after he's spurned by the only woman he thinks he could marry for love. He's taken his vows to join the clergy and is preparing to take his post in Whitehall. Miss Diana Walford was in trouble with her mother. She had not yet managed to make a suitable match and time was running out. Her father had threatened to arrange a marriage if she did not get this taken care of herself quickly. She avoided the subject as much as possible, but secretly feared for her future happiness. Falling in love ...

Wilmet Forsyth is bored. Bored with the everyday routine of her life. Bored with teatimes filled with local gossip. Bored with her husband, Rodney, a civil servant who dotes on her. But on her 33rd birthday, Wilmet's conventional life takes a turn when she runs into the handsome brother of her close friend. Attractive and enigmatic, Piers Longridge is a mystery Wilmet is determined to solve. Rather than settling down, he lived in Portugal, then returned to England for a series of odd jobs. Driven by a fantasy of romance, the sheltered, naïve Englishwoman sets out to seduce Piers.

Escape to breathtaking Ireland in a story of passion, mystery, and heartfelt humor. "A joy to read with many laughs and happy tears along the way." - Amazon reviewer "Breathtaking romance, passion, humor, mystery, heartbreak, hope, and above all, love." - Amazon reviewer Follow the O'Brian family through a tale of unexpected love and buried secrets as each confronts their past, embraces their true selves, and fight for love they never expected. In this captivating saga, discover the bonds of family, the allure of Ireland, and the profound strength of friendship. This box set includes The ...

This is the riveting story of Noor Inayat Khan, the descendant of an Indian Prince Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore, who became a British secret agent for SOE during World War II. Born into an illustrious Indian family in 1914 and brought up in the non-violent Sufi religion, Noor seemed an unlikely secret agent. Yet she became the first female radio operator to be landed in enemy-occupied France, and refused to abandon her post in Paris in 1943, continuing her work under extremely dangerous circumstances.

A quirky, dark-edged mystery full of twists, turns and playful surprises Max Black, retired stock broker and single parent, is facing a crisis. His daughter has left for university, and despite the companionship of his faithful Cairn terrier Monty, he feels panicked, untethered and not very well. His doctor tells him to get out more, change his lifestyle and find himself a job. Could Duntisbourne Hall, a rundown stately home recruiting tour guides, be the answer to his empty-nest syndrome? Joining the team of eccentric retired professionals who shuffle the general public around on tour, he ...

Leah was unemployed, broke, and desperate. A few years earlier, a fatal car crash took the lives of Leah’s beloved husband and their two babies, leaving her disabled. Life looked bleak. Then she met Mason. He was charming, charismatic, persuasive, and a successful businessman, well respected in the community. His teenage daughter did nothing to welcome Leah into the family, but life is never perfect. And the nightmares began the day the dog died… Two years into her second marriage, Leah Brand’s world is turned upside down. Inanimate objects move, her clothes are left out for the ...

An international serial killer is at large. Countless murdered victims are being discovered throughout England, France, and Spain. Will the killer or killers ever be caught? SO MANY HAUNTING QUESTIONS ARE LEFT UNANSWERED SO MANY FOOLISH MISTAKES ARE MADE SO MANY BRUTAL KILLINGS ARE LEFT UNSOLVED The year is nineteen eighty-five, and thirty-one-year-old Katherine looks back over her life and asks herself many challenging questions. Where do I belong? Is there any hope for me left? Can I survive another day? Sadly, no answers to her plaguing questions come to her muddled mind. Slumping back ...

Foreword: Many accounts of World War 2 portray the political and strategic decisions that shaped the course of history from the perspective of politicians and commanders. There are very few accounts that answer the question that most of us want answered; 'what was it really like for those fighting on the ground in the front line?' In this graphic and detailed account Sapper Clive Kemp, with the help of Chris Stone of the BBC, describes the uncertainty, loneliness, camaraderie, chaos, tragedy, loyalty and humour of war. Clive Kemp signed up at South Hill in 1940, aged just 19, and was ...

From Berlin to the Congo, from Moscow to the back streets of London, these are the stories of the agents on the front lines of British intelligence. And the truth is often more remarkable than fiction.

MI6 has been cloaked in secrecy and shrouded in myth since it was created a hundred years ago. Our understanding of what it is to be a spy has been largely defined by the fictional worlds of Ian Fleming and John le Carré. Gordon Corera provides a unique and unprecedented insight into this secret world and the reality that lies behind the fiction.

Killing Goldfinger charts the extraordinary rise and spectacular bullet-riddled fall of John Palmer, the richest, most powerful criminal ever to have emerged from the modern British underworld. Palmer earned his nickname Goldfinger after smelting (in his back garden) tens of millions of pounds worth of stolen gold bullion from the 20th century's most lucrative heist; the Brink's-Mat robbery. Palmer then used his share of the millions to become the vicious overlord of a vast illegal timeshare property empire in Tenerife.

Fans of the Patrick O’Brian Aubrey/Maturin stories, or the Horatio Hornblower works by C.S. Forester will love gay-youth author, Cade Jay Hathaway’s Rian and Mouse seagoing novels. Beginning with The Ship’s Boy, life in the British Royal Navy during the Napoleonic wars is depicted in these enjoyable and relatable sea stories. Told against the historical backdrop of naval life in 1807, The Ship’s Boy is as exciting as a white-knuckle trip around the Horn down in the roaring 40’s. Adrian 'Rian' Pembroke is a lad of thirteen years sailing with his family as a passenger aboard the ...

At the age of 21, Edith Chaplin married one of the most eligible bachelors of the day, the eldest son of the sixth marquess of Londonderry. Her husband served in the Ulster cabinet and was air minister in the National Government of 1934-5. Edith founded the Women's Legion during the First World War and was also an early campaigner for women's suffrage. She created the renowned Mount Stewart Gardens in County Down that are now owned by the National Trust.

This magnificent story of 1,000 years of English history is told through the lives and deeds of Kings and Queens, from the Normans to the Windsors. Understand how the power of the crown has changed as a result of both the character and ability of each monarch and evolving historical circumstances. Eight specialist contributors depict the whole spectrum of royal life in a succinct and fascinating way. Newly revised in 1998, this edition offers expanded coverage of the House of Windsor, including recent events that have greatly affected the Royal Family.