Poet, forger and genius Thomas Chatterton died in 1770, aged only eighteen. His death was thought to be suicide: but what really happened? Two hundred years later, Charles Wychwood and Harriet Scope become obsessed with decoding the clues found in an eighteenth-century manuscript. Their investigation raises some intriguing questions. CONTAINS ADULT THEMES AND STRONG LANGUAGE.

London in the 18th century is a city as squalid and superstitious as it is elegant and enlightened, where a brilliant architect is commissioned to build several new churches. Two hundred and fifty years later in the sprawling metropolis of London the legacy of the past lives on, as CID Detective Hawksmoor investigates a series of murders that have occurred on the sites of 18th century churches.

This audiobook brings to life that period in history when Henry VIII found a match in the beautiful Anne Boleyn. He, with his handsome looks and dominating personality, and she, whose courage, pride and indomitable passion were to win her a crown and cost her her life...

Set during Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812, 'Valentina' tells the story of the Countess Grunowska, a beautiful Polish patriot trapped into a marriage with a vindictive and violent husband. She meets a French officer, Colonel de Chavel, at a ball and they fall passionately in love. The events that draw them violently together just as soon prise them apart...

A decade and a half has passed since Grace was locked up, at the age of 16, for the cold-blooded murders of her employer and his lover. Her alleged accomplice was hanged in 1843. Sixteen years on, Grace claims to have no memory of the event. Dr Simon Jordan attempts to uncover the truth.

Five year old Ayla is separated from her family after an earthquake and adopted by the Clan, a group of Neanderthals seeking a new home. Ayla is of Cro-Magnon stock, thus more advanced than her new family, and her differences and quick mind create a mixture of fear, suspicion and admiration. CONTAINS ADULT THEMES.

The sequel to 'The Clan of the Cave Bear'. Life on the glacial continent of the last Ice Age, when two kinds of human beings, Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon, shared the earth, is an exotic, primeval world where the beautiful Ayla leaves the safety of the clan who raised her and sets out alone on a journey of discovery. CONTAINS ADULT THEMES.

In 1764, the great Samuel Johnson, irascible genius and toast of society, is plagued by ill-health and has become jaded with his bickering dependents. Suffering from a bout of melancholy, he accepts an introduction to the table of Henry Thrale, a wealthy Southwark brewer, and his vivacious wife Hester. It is left to Hester's neglected oldest daughter, known as Queeney, to provide her own sharp commentary on the destruction that ensues.

Beryl Bainbridge tackles the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. The narrator, a 22-year-old named Morgan, brushes up against real-life victims such as John James Astor early in the voyage, while falling in love with the beautiful and unobtainable Wallis Ellery. The deadly maiden voyage of the world's largest ocean liner becomes a journey of self-discovery in this portentous, postmodern work, shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

Beryl Bainbridge tackles the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. The narrator, a 22-year-old named Morgan, brushes up against real-life victims such as John James Astor early in the voyage, while falling in love with the beautiful and unobtainable Wallis Ellery. The deadly maiden voyage of the world's largest ocean liner becomes a journey of self-discovery in this portentous, postmodern work, shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

When Master Georgie - George Hardy, surgeon and photographer - sets off from Victorian Liverpool for the heat and glitter of the Bosphorus to offer his services in the Crimea, there straggles behind him a small caravan of devoted followers; Myrtle, his adoring adoptive sister; lapsed geologist Dr Potter; and photographer's assistant and sometime fire-eater Pompey Jones, all of them driven onwards through a rising tide of death and disease by a shared, mysterious guilt. Winner of the Booker Prize.

When Master Georgie - George Hardy, surgeon and photographer - sets off from Victorian Liverpool for the heat and glitter of the Bosphorus to offer his services in the Crimea, there straggles behind him a small caravan of devoted followers; Myrtle, his adoring adoptive sister; lapsed geologist Dr Potter; and photographer's assistant and sometime fire-eater Pompey Jones, all of them driven onwards through a rising tide of death and disease by a shared, mysterious guilt. Winner of the Booker Prize.

This novel set in Britain and Ireland during the dark ages is the tale of a young Irish princess who became a saint, and of her lifelong bond with a prince of the north-western kingdom of Rheged - a land of warriors and miracles, where the British people survived.

The story of an imposter and bigamist, who travels to the North of England where he marries the maid of Buttermere, a young woman whose natural beauty inspired the dreams and confirmed the theories of early 19th Century writers.

Tom Parks was a boy when his father died, leaving him alone in the wilderness. He quickly acquired survival skills and made night-time raids on a town, leaving furs in payment. But the townsfolk fear this marauder, and John Themis, a newcomer to the valley, takes up the chase.

In 1666, The Great Plague scorched London whilst the north of England remained untouched until, in a small community of leadminers and hill farmers, a bolt of cloth arrived from the capital. The tailor who cut the cloth had no way of knowing that the damp fabric carried with it bubonic infection. So begins the 'Year of Wonders', based on real-life events, in which a small Pennine village confronts a scourge beyond remedy or understanding. Desperate, the villagers turn to sorcery, herb lore, and murderous witch-hunting. Then, led by a young and charismatic preacher, they bravely elect to isolate themselves to limit the contagion. The story is told through the eyes of Anna Frith who, at only 18, must contend with the death of her family, the disintegration of her society, and the lure of a dangerous and illicit attraction.

Oscar's narrow-minded father is determined to bring his son up as a member of his strict fundamentalist sect. Lucinda's mother, a frustrated believer in women's rights, expected the evolving continent of Australia during the 1860s to be the place to realise her feminist dream. Oscar is determined that God has called him to be an Anglican missionary. Lucinda is set on owning a glass factory. When Oscar and Lucinda meet they decide to build a glass church and give it to an isolated churchless community. Oscar risks all he owns on a bet that he will see the church reach its destination and sets out into the savage Outback to achieve his dream. Winner of the Booker Prize.

Oscar's narrow-minded father is determined to bring his son up as a member of his strict fundamentalist sect. Lucinda's mother, a frustrated believer in women's rights, expected the evolving continent of Australia during the 1860s to be the place to realise her feminist dream. Oscar is determined that God has called him to be an Anglican missionary. Lucinda is set on owning a glass factory. When Oscar and Lucinda meet they decide to build a glass church and give it to an isolated churchless community. Oscar risks all he owns on a bet that he will see the church reach its destination and sets out into the savage Outback to achieve his dream. Winner of the Booker Prize.

Rex Daviot, a secret agent for Queen Victoria, embarks to India on a mission of utmost importance in this historical romance from Barbara Cartland.

An enchanting romance set in the 1890s involving a Marquis who becomes smitten with an impoverished young woman.

When the cynical Count Viktor van Haan arrived in Bali, it seemed as it the very gods of the island had drawn him to Roxana. Then fate intervened and he turned from her in disgust. Would Viktor ever believe her innocence?

A dashing Russian prince, visiting Paris, becomes smitten by the mysterious, innocent beauty Lokita. Lokita falls hopelessly in love with the young prince - unaware of the dark secrets from her past that may keep them apart forever.

London 1792. The Kellaways move from familiar rural Dorset to the tumult of a cramped, unforgiving city. They are leaving behind a terrible loss, a blow that only a completely new life may soften. Against the backdrop of a city jittery over the increasingly bloody French Revolution, a surprising bond forms between Jem, the youngest Kellaway boy, and streetwise Londoner, Maggie Butterfield. Their friendship takes a dramatic turn when they become entangled in the life of their neighbour, the printer, poet and radical, William Blake. He is a guiding spirit as Jem and Maggie navigate the unpredictable, exhilarating passage from innocence to experience. Their journey inspires one of Blake's most entrancing works.

A historical novel on the corruption of innocence, using the famous painting by Vermeer as an inspiration. Griet, the young daughter of a tilemaker in 17th century Holland, obtains her first job as a servant in Vermeer's household. Tracy Chevalier shows us, through Griet's eyes, the complicated family, the society of the small town of Delft, and life with an obsessive genius. Griet loves being drawn into his artistic life, and leaving her former drudgery, but the cost to her own survival may be high.

Jean Le Viste, a 15th century nobleman close to the king, hires an ambitious artist to design six tapestries celebrating his success at court. The artist's pursuit of Le Viste's daughter, Claude, pulls him into the web of fragile relationships between husband and wife, parents and children, lovers and servants.

Meet Ella Turner and Isabelle du Moulin, two women born centuries apart, yet bound by a fateful family legacy. When Ella and her husband move to a small town in France, Ella hopes to brush up on her French, qualify to practice as a midwife, and start a family of her own. Village life turns out to be less idyllic than she expected, however, and a peculiar dream about the colour blue propels her on a quest to uncover her family's French ancestry. As the novel unfolds, alternating between Ella's story and that of Isabelle du Moulin four hundred years earlier, a common thread emerges that unexpectedly links the two women.

The year is 1806, England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and it is hundreds of years since practical magic faded into the nation's past. But scholars of this glorious history suddenly discover that one practising magician still remains: the reclusive Mr Norrell of Hurtfew Abbey. Challenged to demonstrate his powers, Norrell proceeds to London, where he raises a beautiful young woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet Norrell is soon challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very opposite of the cautious, fussy Norrell, who nevertheless agrees to take Strange as a pupil. But when Strange becomes obsessed with the founder of English magic, the Raven King, he risks sacrificing not only his partnership with Norrell, but everything else he holds dear in his reckless pursuit of the wildest, most perilous forms of magic.

Money was tight in the farming communities around Fellburn in the 1880s, so when Hector Stewart announced to his children that he was to marry Moira, a wealthy distant relative, it was Daniel the youngest who guessed the purpose of the union.

The year is 1886, and Ward Gibson is a prosperous young farmer who becomes fascinated by Stephanie McQueen, a dancer. His marriage to her divides his home village, as he was expected to marry a local girl, and there follows a series of attacks on his farm, culminating in Stephanie's murder.

Aggie Winkowski endured the Industrial Revolution that brought with it the factories and the slums, and has turned her talents into a thriving business, trading rags and old clothes. Then, in the summer of 1854, seven-year-old Millie explodes into her life and giving it new meaning.

In the 1870s, Jinnie Howlett is offered a position as a maid to the Shalemans at Tollet's Ridge Farm near Cumbria, enabling her to escape the workhouse. She meets Richard Baxton-Powell, and Jinnie, thrust into womanhood, also realises that her maturity stems from life with the Shalemans.

The first book in a series set during the reign of Queen Victoria. 'Tilly Trotter' follows the fortunes of a young girl who goes from a small village in Tyneside to a new life in America as the wife of a wealthy man - only to return and encounter the enmity of her former neighbours.

Beautiful and bewitching Tilly Trotter has served Mark Sopwith devotedly for twelve years - his wife in all but name. But now his wife is dead Tilly's whole future at Highfield Manor looks uncertain. Four months pregnant with Mark's child, Tilly's predicament is worsened by the hostility of his oldest grown-up child, Jessie Ann, who is determined to have Tilly banished from the Manor... The second book in the 'Tilly Trotter' series.

First a rich man's mistress, then a frontier wife and now a widow... With her two children, half-blind Willy and her adopted daughter, Josefina, Tilly returns to Highfield Manor, where she'd worked as a nursemaid many years ago. The third book in the 'Tilly Trotter' series.

It is 1817 and Charles Corday, a portrait painter, has only seven days to live. He has been found guilty of murdering a Countess whom he was in the process of painting. He had been sentenced to hang, and political pressures make it expedient for the Home Office to confirm his guilt. The man appointed to investigate is Rider Sandman, whose qualifications for the job are non-existent and who is currently down on his luck. But Sandman's investigations reveal much that does not fit the verdict, and too many people determined to halt his activities.

In the spring of 1811, while quartered in the crumbling Portuguese fort of San Isidro, Richard Sharpe and his men are attacked by an elite French unit commanded by the formidable Brigadier Loup, and suffer heavy losses. Sharpe has already clashed once with Loup, and the Frenchman has sworn to have his revenge. Chronologically the 11th Sharpe novel.

In the spring of 1811, while quartered in the crumbling Portuguese fort of San Isidro, Richard Sharpe and his men are attacked by an elite French unit commanded by the formidable Brigadier Loup, and suffer heavy losses. Sharpe has already clashed once with Loup, and the Frenchman has sworn to have his revenge. Chronologically the 11th Sharpe novel.

In his quest to discover the truth about the disappearance of the Dona Louisa Vivar's husband, a former Spanish comrade, Richard Sharpe is taken to Chile, where he soon finds himself caught up in the rebellion against Spanish rule and fighting alongside the flamboyant rebel admiral, Lord Thomas Cochrane. Chronologically the 20th Sharpe novel.

In his quest to discover the truth about the disappearance of the Dona Louisa Vivar's husband, a former Spanish comrade, Richard Sharpe is taken to Chile, where he soon finds himself caught up in the rebellion against Spanish rule and fighting alongside the flamboyant rebel admiral, Lord Thomas Cochrane. Chronologically the 20th Sharpe novel.

Richard Sharpe, bold, professional and ruthless, goes to war. Once a private, now he leads his men into action in the bloodiest battle of the war. The danger is as great from his enemies on his own side as from those across the battlefield. But through treachery and gunsmoke, through swordfight and bloody warfare, Sharpe saves his own life and the honour of the regiment. Chronologically the eighth Sharpe novel.

Bold, professional and determined, Richard Sharpe embarks on a desperate mission. He must recover the treasure, vital to the success of the war, now hidden behind enemy lines. The gold is in the possession of a powerful guerrilla leader, feared by ally and enemy alike. And he has no love for Sharpe, the man who has stolen his woman. Chronologically the ninth Sharpe novel.

In the bitter winter of 1809 the French are winning the war in Spain. Britain's forces - hotly pursued by Napoleon's victorious troops - are retreating and Lieutenant Richard Sharpe, with his detachment of Riflemen, have been cut off. Surrounded by the enemy Sharpe is distrusted by his men, especially by an Irishman called Patrick Harper. But Sharpe is not entirely friendless; he finds an unlikely ally in a Spanish cavalry officer, Blas Vivar, and companionship in English refugee, Louisa Parker. Chronologically the sixth Sharpe novel.

Richard Sharpe is once again at war. But this time his enemy is a single man - the ruthless, sadistic Colonel Leroux. Sharpe's mission is to safeguard El Mirador, the spy whose network of agents is vital to the British victory. Chronologically the 13th Sharpe novel.

Richard Sharpe is once again at war. But this time his enemy is a single man - the ruthless, sadistic Colonel Leroux. Sharpe's mission is to safeguard El Mirador, the spy whose network of agents is vital to the British victory. Chronologically the 13th Sharpe novel.

Chronologically the first Sharpe novel. Richard Sharpe's story begins as a young private soldier in India, before the Peninsular War. It is 1799, and Sharpe, the rest of his battalion, and rising star of the general staff Arthur Wellesley, are about embark upon the siege of the island citadel of the Tippoo of Mysore, Seringapatam. When a senior British officer is captured by the Tippoo's forces, Sharpe is offered a change to attempt a rescue - but once inside the dangerous world of the Tippoo he realises he will need all his wits just to stay alive, let alone save the British army from catastrophe.

This novel sees Sharpe returning from India to London to join the newly formed Green jackets. Sharpe, though a little more comfortable with his new officer rank, is sure that this new unit is of lower status, and that he has failed. His ship home is shipwrecked and he is captured by pirates, but, fighting free with a few companions he finds himself on a British Navy ship heading to join Nelson's fleet. And there, in October 1805, he finds himself involved in the great sea battle, and discovers new skills in fighting on sea. Chronologically the fourth Sharpe novel.

The year is 1803 and young Sergeant Richard Sharpe is on the trail of a renegade East India Company officer. The pursuit takes him through the siege of Ahmednuggur to the battlefield of Assaye where the future Duke of Wellington won his greatest victory, with Richard Sharpe, naturally, at his side. Chronologically the second Sharpe novel.

The first book in the 'Grail Quest' series which covers the Hundred Years War. 'Hellequin' is what the French called the English Archers who came across the channel to lay waste the towns and countryside. When raiders sack the village of archer Thomas of Hookton, he escapes and joins the army of King Edward III. The King and his son, the Black Prince, are going to France with a great force of knights and men-at-arms, led by great lords. But it is the archers who will decide the success or failure of the invasion.

This is the second book in the 'Grail Quest' series which covers the Hundred Years War. Thomas of Hookton, having survived the battle of Crecy, is sent by the king on a mission to find out more about his father's strange inheritance, which seems connected to the Holy Grail.

Book three in the 'Grail Quest' series begins with a bloody battle outside Calais in 1347, a short time before the city fell to the English. The sympathetic Thomas of Hookton is bending every sinew at the service of his master, the Earl of Northampton; after risking his life time and again, Thomas finds himself commissioned to track down the most sacred relic in Christendom, the Holy Grail. He travels to Gascony, seat of power of his nemesis, Guy Vexille. Utilising his archers, Thomas conducts a fierce guerrilla war against Vexille, and yearns for a face-to-face encounter. But then Thomas is routed and finds his campaign in shreds, facing the twin enemies of the church and the plague.

The year is 878, and the Saxons of Wessex, under King Alfred, have defeated the Danes to keep their kingdom free. Uhtred, the dispossessed son of a Northumbrian lord, helped Alfred win that victory, but now he is disgusted by Alfred's lack of generosity. Uhtred flees Wessex, going north to search for his stepsister, who was taken prisoner by Kjartan the Cruel, a Danish lord who lurks in the formidable stronghold of Dunholm. Uhtred arrives in the north to discover rebellion, chaos, and fear. His only ally is Hild, a West Saxon nun fleeing her calling, and his best hope is his sword, Serpent-Breath, with which he has made a notable reputation as a warrior. He needs other partners if he is to attack Dunholm, and chooses Guthred, a seemingly deluded slave who believes he is a king. Together they cross the Pennines, where fanatical Christians and beleaguered Danes have formed a desperate alliance to confront the terrible Viking lords who rule Northumbria. Instead of victory Uhtred finds betrayal.

Set during the American Civil War, this audiobook follows the confrontation of North against South. Nathaniel Starbuck is a Northerner, but fleeing his family after the disgrace of his involvement with a French actress, he turns to his best friend, Adam Faulconer.

Set during the American Civil War, this book follows the confrontation of North against South. Nathaniel Starbuck is a Northerner, but fleeing his family after the disgrace of his involvement with a French actress, he turns to his best friend, Adam Faulconer.

In the American civil war, northern sympathisers of the Confederacy are derrided as Copperheads after a venomous snake. That's what people call Nathaniel Starbuck, who takes shelter in the Falconer legion of the southern army in the second of the Starbuck Chronicles.

In the American civil war, northern sympathisers of the Confederacy are described as 'Copperheads' after a venomous snake. That's what people call Nathaniel Starbuck, who takes shelter in the Falconer legion of the southern army in the second of the Starbuck Chronicles.

This third volume in the American Civil War series follows the further adventures of northerner Nathaniel Starbuck as he fights for the rebel south. It is the summer of 1862, having survived the early battles of War and the desperate struggle to defend Richmond, Nathaniel still has a long way to go before he can feel secure in the Falconer Legion.

This third volume in the American Civil War series follows the further adventures of northerner Nathaniel Starbuck as he fights for the rebel south. It is the summer of 1862, having survived the early battles of War and the desperate struggle to defend Richmond, Nathaniel still has a long way to go before he can feel secure in the Falconer Legion.

Continues the story of a nation torn apart by civil war and the life of Nathaniel Starbuck, a northerner fighting for the southern cause. Nathaniel is caught between two women and his command in the legion is threatened by jealousy and distrust.

This book is the fourth in the Starbuck Chronicles and continues the story of a nation torn apart by civil war and the life of Nathaniel, a northerner fighting for the southern cause. Nathaniel is caught between two women and his command in the legion is threatened by jealousy and distrust.

Derfel, once a captain in Arthur's warband, recalls the days of Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and Bishop Sansum. But, above all, it tells the story of Arthur, the only man who can hold Uther's throne for its infant heir, and unite Britain's squabbling kingdoms against the enemy. The first in the Warlord Chronicles.

Derfel, once a captain in Arthur's warband, recalls the days of Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin and Bishop Sansum. But, above all, it tells the story of Arthur, the only man who can hold Uther's throne for its infant heir, and unite Britain's squabbling kingdoms against the enemy. The first in the Warlord Chronicles.

The second volume of the Warlord Chronicles. Embattled, honorable Arthur faces revolt by Lancelot and betrayal by Guinevere. Mordred comes of age, but should he be king? Arthur is faced with more than one dilemma as treachery, lies and mysteries proliferate. Adultery and violent revenge strain Arthur's alliances, horrifying even war-hardened narrator Derfel Cadarn and endangering his beloved family.

The second volume of the Warlord Chronicles. Embattled, honorable Arthur faces revolt by Lancelot and betrayal by Guinevere. Mordred comes of age, but should he be king? Arthur is faced with more than one dilemma as treachery, lies and mysteries proliferate. Adultery and violent revenge strain Arthur's alliances, horrifying even war-hardened narrator Derfel Cadarn and endangering his beloved family.

The third novel in the Warlord Chronicles. Merlin, the greatest of the Druids, believes that the ancient gods are deserting Britain, and that the invading Saxons can't be defeated without the gods' help. Mordred reigns with a brutal hand, and Arthur sees his dreams of peace evaporate.

The third novel in the Warlord Chronicles. Merlin, the greatest of the Druids, believes that the ancient gods are deserting Britain, and that the invading Saxons can't be defeated without the gods' help. Mordred reigns with a brutal hand, and Arthur sees his dreams of peace evaporate.

Ancient Rome, AD73, and inimitable sleuth Marcus Didius Falco is called upon to conduct an investigation into a crime that leaves Rome's Chief of Spies for dead. Soon he is plunged not only into the fiercely competitive world of olive oil production, but also political intrigue, an exotic Spanish dancer and impending fatherhood, all of which all add to Falco's troubles.

Set against the background of the collapsing Ottoman Empire, this audiobook traces the fortunes of one small community in south-west Anatolia - a community in which Christians and Muslims have co-existed peacefully for centuries and in which friendship, even love, can transcend religious differences. When the Great War erupts, the twin scourges of religion and nationalism lead to forced marches and massacres, and the peaceful fabric of life is destroyed.

David tells of his adventures immigrating from rural England to Paris where he finds a revolution in full swing. His romantic and political adventures eventually land him in jail for treason.

Bored with the frivolous life of the Court, the captivating, imperious Dona St Columb retires on a whim to her country estate in Cornwall, taking her children but leaving her dull husband in town. How does she become involved with a French philosopher-pirate, the terror of the Cornish coast?

Bored with the frivolous life of the Court, the captivating, imperious Dona St Columb retires on a whim to her country estate in Cornwall, taking her children but leaving her dull husband in town. How does she become involved with a French philosopher-pirate, the terror of the Cornish coast?

This is a passionate story of five generations of an Irish family and the copper mine on Hungry Hill with which their fortunes and fate are so closely bound.

After the death of her mother, Mary Yellan travels to Jamaica Inn on bleak Bodmin Moor to live with her Aunt Patience. The coachman warns her of the strange happenings there, and Mary suddenly finds her life to be in the hands of strangers: her uncle, Joss Merlyn, whose crude ways repel her; Aunt Patience, who seems mentally unstable and perpetually frightened; and the enigmatic Francis Davey. But most importantly, Mary meets Jem Merlyn, Joss's younger brother, who makes her heart race. Mary must survive murder, storms and smugglers before she can build a life with Jem.

After the death of her mother, Mary Yellan travels to Jamaica Inn on bleak Bodmin Moor to live with her Aunt Patience. The coachman warns her of the strange happenings there, and Mary suddenly finds her life to be in the hands of strangers: her uncle, Joss Merlyn, whose crude ways repel her; Aunt Patience, who seems mentally unstable and perpetually frightened; and the enigmatic Francis Davey. But most importantly, Mary meets Jem Merlyn, Joss's younger brother, who makes her heart race. Mary must survive murder, storms and smugglers before she can build a life with Jem.

In this haunting tale, Daphne du Maurier takes a fresh approach to time travel. A secret experimental concoction, once imbibed, allows you to return to the 14th century. There is only one catch: if you happen to touch anyone while traveling in the past you will be thrust instantaneously to the present. Magnus Lane, a University of London chemical researcher, asks his friend Richard Young and Young's family to stay at Kilmarth, an ancient house set in the wilds near the Cornish coast.

Set in the seventeenth century, when Cornwall echoed to the brisk tattoo of Royalist drums and the Blien challenge of rebel bugles, 'The King's General' tells the story of a country and a family riven by war. The beautiful Honor Harris is only eighteen when she first meets the proud and reckless Richard Grenville - and she is captivated by him. But following a riding accident, Honor must reconcile herself to a life alone. As Richard rises through the ranks of the army, marries and makes enemies, Honor remains true to him, and finally discovers the secret of Menabilly.

Again it was time for the townsfolk of Bruges to witness the arrival of the two slender ships from Venice. As ever their cargo was nothing less than marvellous: myrrh and rosewater from Persia, emeralds and sapphires, ostrich feathers and elephants' tusks, gums and coral buttons... Trade, war and banking lie at the core of this chronicle of fifteenth century Europe, where life is controlled by the merchant classes. The story centres around Claus, a shrewd young apprentice dyer whose head for business leads to the running of his own courier service for the merchants and bankers. Claus lays his hands on a commercial secret and plays dangerous games with the greatest powers in Europe.

When Nat Swanson, a cowboy on the run from a mob of Texan cowboys, stumbles across the trapped survivors of an Indian Apache ambush in New Mexico, the last thing he imagines is that he will be trying to save the lives of three nuns and seven children. While Sister St Agnes is convinced he has been sent by God, Swanson is equally convinced that the best they can hope for is not to be taken alive...

The year is 1857. In Krishnapur the British community carries on its serene existence, ignoring the rumours of trouble among the native troops elsewhere in Hindustan. Life is dull, orderly and genteel. Only Mr Hopkins, the Collector, senses danger. When the sepoys in the nearby cantonment rise in bloody revolt, the British retreat in shocked confusion to the Residency. Crowded behind makeshift barricades and surrounded by the Collector's momentoes of the great Exhibition, for the first time European rulers confront the world they think they rule. As they settle down grimly to fight for their lives, they must use every means at their disposal to survive.

Set in Germany at the very end of the 18th century, 'The Blue Flower' is the story of the brilliant Fritz von Hardenberg, who later became the great romantic poet and philosopher Novalis. The passionate and idealistic Fritz needs his father's permission to announce his engagement to his 'heart's heart', his 'true Philosophy', twelve-year-old Sophie von Kuhn. It is a betrothal which amuses, astounds and disturbs his family and friends.

Preparation for war against the French, daring commando-style raids and the rigours of naval discipline - classic ingredients of this adventure which tests Hornblower's ingenuity and courage to the limit. Chronologically the third Hornblower novel.

When the Renown's cruel captain goes insane during the voyage to the West Indies, all the ship's officers are put to the test. Whether liberating a garrison, outwitting rebellious prisoners of war or facing the rigours of an official enquiry, the resourceful and courageous Hornblower proves himself a consummate leader. Chronologically the second Hornblower novel.

A collection of stories introducing Horatio Hornblower and his career in the British Navy. Meet the quiet, gawky, strangely impressive young Hornblower, newly commissioned into Nelson's navy, and sail with him aboard H.M.S. Indefatigable to the Western Atlantic, through a series of dramatic battles and scrapes.

The newly promoted Commodore returns to the scene of his first naval action - the Baltic. In a gripping adventure in the northern waters Hornblower must use all his skill and experience to hamper the onslaughts of Napoleon's armies. Chronologically the ninth Hornblower novel.

'The Happy Return' shows Hornblower as captain of HMS Lydia, his mission taking him to South American waters where he is instructed to assist rebels in fighting Spanish rule and to hunt down a Spanish vessel, the 'Natividad'. Chronologically the sixth Hornblower novel.

Set in Lyme Regis towards the end of the 19th century, Charles Smithson finds himself haunted by the face of Sarah Woodruff, who endlessly waits for the return of the French Lieutenant who has deserted her. He struggles to forget her and concedes to a life with the entirely more conventional Ernestina Freeman. However, Charles finds his initial curiosity towards the enigmatic Sarah developing into attraction and eventual desire. Throughout the novel Charles struggles to come to terms with the inner conflict between his head and his heart. CONTAINS ADULT THEMES.

This audiobook contains three new episodes in the career of Sir Harry Flashman, the eminent if disreputable adventurer. The title piece touches on two of the most spectacular military actions of the century and sees Flashman pitted against one of the greatest villains of the day, and observing, with his usual jaundiced eye, two of its most famous heroes.

Sir Harry Flashman, arch-cad, poltroon, amorist, and reluctant hero, fleeing first from Mexican bandits, rebels, and the French Foreign Legion, not to mention the relatives of an infatuated Austrian beauty, was in urgent need of somewhere to take cover - even if it meant a perilous secret mission in disguise to the court of a voluptuous African queen with a weakness for stalwart adventurers. Along the way were nightmarish castles, brigand lairs, battles, massacres, orgies, and the loveliest and most lethal women in Africa, testing to the limit the great bounder's talents for knavery, amorous intrigue, and survival.

When Captain Buck Flashman sees the black boxer catch a fly in mid-flight, he realises that he is in the presence of speed such as the prize ring has never previously seen. Tom Molineaux may be crude and untutored, but Mad Buck who, like his son Harry Flashman (the notorious arch-cad), has an unerring eye for the main chance, sees this ex-slave from America as a champion in the making.

The first of the 'Flashman Papers' novels, the adventures of the caddish bully of 'Tom Brown's Schooldays'. Expelled from Rugby for drunkenness, and none too welcome at home after seducing his father's mistress, the young Flashman embarks on a military career with Lord Cardigan's Hussars. En route to Afghanistan, our hero hones his skills as a soldier, duellist, imposter, coward and serial seducer before being pressed into reluctant service as a secret agent. His Afghan adventures culminate in a starring role in that great historic disaster, the Retreat from Kabul.

What caused the Indian Mutiny - the insurrection which was the watershed of the British Empire? Flashman, in his role as secret agent extraordinare, saw far more of the Great Mutiny than he wanted to - Russian spies in Queen Victoria's drawing room, Palmerston's secret cabinet, the first explosion of revolt, the heroic defence of the bullet-swept barricade at Cawnpore, the vital message out of Lucknow... How he survived his adventures and inevitable flights from Thugs and Tsarist agents, Eastern beauties and Cabinet ministers, and kept his skin intact is a mystery. The eighth of the 'Flashman Papers' novels.

When Flashman accepted an invitation to join in a friendly cricket match, little did he know that he was letting himself in for a game that would see him from the wicket at Lord's to the jungle lairs of Borneo pirates, and from a Newgate hanging to the torture pits of Madagascar. The third of the 'Flashman Papers' novels.

No one knew who Mark Franklin was when he disembarked at Liverpool in 1909 with a copy of Shakespeare's works, an old Mexican charro saddle and two Remingtons in his battered luggage. He was just another American, tall and softly-spoken. Even General Flashman never guessed the whole truth.

Arch-cad Flashman matches his wits, his talents for deceit and above all his speed in evasion against the most brilliant European statesman and most beautiful and unscrupulous adventuress of the era. From London gaming-halls and English hunting-fields to European dungeons and throne-rooms he is involved in a desperate succession of escapes, disguises, amours, and (when he cannot avoid them) hand-to-hand combats while the destiny of a continent rests on his broad and failing shoulders. The second of the 'Flashman Papers' novels.

Turning his back on the carnage of the American Civil War, soldier Inman begins a treacherous journey through the soon-to-be-defeated South. He is going home to Cold Mountain, where his sweetheart Ada struggles to make a living from the land. Neither knows if the other is alive...

Kirsty Howard seeks out her grandfather in Scotland, after the death of her parents. But now she must fight for her right to inherit one of the finest whisky distilleries in the world. Passion, suspicion and ambition grow in intensity until Kirsty find her unwary desire drawing her into the throes of forbidden love.

In 1789, in the wake of the French Revolution, the pretty young commoner Jane Howard is concerned only with raising herself to the high social rank she feels she deserves. With her eyes on the regal Mansion Blake's Reach, high above Romney Marsh, Jane plots a course that will make her its mistress.

Fiona McIntyre goes to the West Indies as governess to her young cousin. She finds trouble and unrest at the great house set among the sugar cane plantations as she encounters slave uprisings - yet she also discovers true friends and learns a valuable lesson in self worth.

Set during the French Revolution in the shadow of the guillotine, this novel focuses on the spirited heroine Marie Fontaine. Sharing a prison cell with the future Empress Josephine, she rejoices at the death of the hated Robespierre and witnesses the triumph of the youthful Napoleon Bonaparte.

Charlotte Mortimer, a spirited, sensual young woman, is testing the limits of her world - a world bounded by strict convention. With the arrival in the house of Peter Fisher, life seems certain to begin indeed. Peter's infectious excitement about the possibilities offered by electricity as a replacement for gas lamps matches Charlotte's longing for change, for a brighter, less stifling, future. Marriage to Peter seems to offer a new world, and Charlotte grasps the opportunity eagerly. But is she is going too far, too fast?

Summoning up more than twenty years of Japan's most dramatic history, this novel reveals the shadowy and mysterious world of the geisha. From the small fishing village in 1929 from where a young peasant girl is sold as servant and apprentice to a renowned geisha house, to the glamorous and decadent heart of Kyoto in the 1930s, 'Memoirs of a Geisha' evokes another culture, a different time and the details of an extraordinary way of life.

Summoning up more than twenty years of Japan's most dramatic history, this novel reveals the shadowy and mysterious world of the geisha. From the small fishing village in 1929 from where a young peasant girl is sold as servant and apprentice to a renowned geisha house, to the glamorous and decadent heart of Kyoto in the 1930s, 'Memoirs of a Geisha' evokes another culture, a different time and the details of an extraordinary way of life.

The first book in the Poldark series. Cornwall in the 1780s. After a grim war in America, Ross Poldark returns to his land and his family. The joyful home-coming is soured for his father is dead, his estate is derelict and the girl he loves is engaged to marry his cousin. But when he rescues a half-starved urchin girl from a fairground brawl, his life is to alter forever.

Demelza, the miner's daughter Poldark rescued from a fairground rabble, is now his wife. Demelza's efforts to adapt to the ways of the gentry and her husband bring her confusion and heartache, despite the joy in the birth of their first child. And the seeds of dispute with Warleggan are also sown... The second book in the Poldark series.

Ross Poldark is to appear before the summer assizes in the Cornish town of Bodmin, charged with having plundered two ships. His wife, Demelza, against his wishes, insists on attending the trial, knowing well that Ross could face the death penalty. Things have not gone well with the Poldarks. The elopement of Verity Poldark has caused her brother Francis to quarrel with his cousin, Ross, whom he holds responsible. Because of this quarrel Ross believes that Francis has betrayed his business plans to the Warleggans, a family of bankers who are fast gaining control of the commercial life of Cornwall. The third book in the Poldark series.

Ross seems secure in his hard won prosperity, but a new dilemma faces him in the sudden infatuation of a young naval officer for his wife Demelza. For Demelza, Elizabeth, Caroline and Morwenna, there are times of stress and conflict ahead. The sixth book in the Poldark series.

A majestic and detailed portrayal of ancient Rome and the reigns of the benevolent Augustus, tyranical Tiberius and insane Caligula, from 10 BC - 41 AD as told by Claudius, who, with his stutter and shambling gait, is an unlikely and unwilling successor to their throne.

The sequel to 'I Claudius' captures the vitality, splendour and decadence of Rome just entering its decline as seen through the eyes of the bemused and wry Claudius. Concentrating on the years of Claudius's rule, 'Claudius the God' provides a fascinating insight into what it takes to rule a nation.

Set in 18th-century Bristol, this novel charts one man's efforts to move to the wealthy sector of the city - at any cost. To reach this end, he becomes involved in slave-trading. This is a tale of his ambition, and the plight of one African in particular, brought over to be trained as a model slave.

After her father's death in India, Eleanor Carey, with her brother and mother, is sent to live in England with two grimly proper aunts. But her desire for independence is tested to the limits as she encounters villains and eccentrics in the seedy side of 19th century London.

Set in 17th-century France against a backdrop of terror and religious frenzy. Juliette seeks refuge in a remote abbey - and reinvents herself as Soeur Auguste. Then her past turns up to haunt her in the guise of a man she has every reason to fear.

Where else to enjoy the last days of summer than on the beautiful Bay of Naples? All along the coast, the Roman Empire's richest citizens are relaxing in their luxurious villas. The world's largest navy lies peacefully at anchor. Only one man is worried. The engineer Marcus Attilius has just taken charge of the Aqua Augusta, the enormous aqueduct that brings fresh water to a quarter of a million people in nine towns around the Bay. Springs are failing. And now there is a crisis on the Augusta's sixty-mile main line, somewhere to the north of Pompeii, on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius... CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE AND ADULT THEMES.

A romantic saga of the Crimean War by Joanna Trollope, writing as Caroline Harvey. When Edgar goes to serve in the Crimea, he decides to take his two sisters Blanche and Sarah with him. They have been inseparable since childhood and Edgar believes the war will be over quickly. However Blanche, the beauty of the family, soon brings disgrace on them all, which badly affects Sarah.

From the opulent ballrooms of country estates to the gambling dens of St. Petersburg, this is a powerful tale of pre-revolutionary life and the twisted passions of a powerful family. Rilla Weston, English governess to the son of Count Dmitri, finds herself drawn into the secret of the House of Kuragin.

The bohemian existence of Juliet and her father in 19th century Paris is abruptly ended by his death. Juliet, left penniless, takes work with the Chartley family and is irresistably drawn to the son of her employer. But their love suffers a stormy course against a background of vicious family intrigue and mounting industrial strife.

When the new Lady Cardross begins to fill her days with fashion and frivolity, the Earl has to wonder whether she did really only marry him for his money, as his family so helpfully suggests. And now Nell doesn't dare tell him the truth... What with the concern over his wife's heart and pocket, sorting out her brother's scrapes and trying to prevent his own half sister from eloping, it is no wonder that the much-tried Earl almost misses the opportunity to smooth the path of true love in his marriage...

The Earl of Spenborough has always been noted for his eccentricity. Leaving a widow younger than his own daughter Serena is one thing, but quite another is leaving Serena's fortune to the trusteeship of the Marquis of Rotherham - a man whom Serena once jilted and who now has the power to give or withhold his consent to any marriage she might contemplate. The situation worsens when Serena and her lovely young stepmother Fanny decide to move to Bath, where Serena makes an odd new friend and discovers an old love, Major Hector Kirkby.

Sir Nicholas Beauvallet has never been known to resist a challenge. When a captured galleon yields the lovely Dona Dominica, he vows to return her and her father to the shores of Spain. But as soon as he has achieved this, he proposes a venture more reckless than any of his exploits on the high seas.

In Regency England, penniless Kate Malvern is swept to her aunt's Elizabethan manor and showered with comforts. But despite the luxury of her new life, the atmosphere in the household is less than homely, and gradually it dawns on Kate that there are sinister reasons for her aunt's benevolence.

Renowned gamester Ravenscar is untroubled by a romantic disposition and regards all eligible females with indifference. He has been charged to rescue his young cousin, Adrian, from the beautiful mistress of a gaming-house - an opponent he finds himself unprepared for, despite all his experience of taking risks and gambles. He is about to play for his highest stakes ever.

Rich, handsome, the hope of ambitious mothers and despair of his sisters, the Marquis of Alverstoke sees no reason to put himself out for anyone. Until a distant connection, ignorant of his selfishness, applies to him for help. Plunged into one drama after another by the irrepressible Merriville family, Alverstoke is surprised to find himself far from bored. The lovely Charis may be as hen-witted as she is beautiful, but her strong-minded sister, Frederica, seems more concerned with her family's welfare than his own distinguished attentions.

Richard Wyndham has many pretty and eligible females setting their caps at him, but he cares only for his horses, his gaming and the look of his cravat. However his family is determined that he should carry on the family name and suggests the beautiful but cold Melissa Brandon. Then providence intervenes in the comely shape of young Penelope Creed, herself fleeing an unwelcome marriage, and Richard and Penelope set off on an exciting adventure with unexpected consequences.

Sir Waldo Hawkridge, wealthy, handsome and known as 'The Nonesuch' for his athletic prowess, believes he is past the age of falling in love. But when he travels north to inspect his unusual inheritance at Broom Hall in the West Riding, his arrival leads to the most entertaining of ramifications.

This novel tells of the rivalry between two dominating 16th century women - one, Lettice Knollys, who holds a post in the royal household; the other, Queen Elizabeth I herself. As Lettice was the most alluring woman at court, she was soon noticed by Robert Dudley, the Queen's favourite.