Quercus/MacLehose Press

Winston Churchill attracted far more criticism alive than he has since his death. He was, according to Evelyn Waugh, 'always in the wrong, surrounded by crooks, a terrible father, a radio personality'. Whatever one's view of 'the greatest Briton', and despite the best efforts of an army of writers who have penned portraits of him, Winston Churchill remains splendidly unreduced. In this new biography Ashley Jackson describes the contours of Winston Churchill's remarkable life and political career, and gives a sense of the man behind the dark eyes and bulldog features. From Cabinet outcast to the greatest war leader ever, this is the eternally fascinating story of Winston Churchill's appointment with destiny.

When their country is invaded and their families are taken, eight high school teenagers band together to fight. Seventeen-year-old Ellie and her friends have survived the invasion and hit back at the soldiers who still hold their family and friends captive. But two of their band are captured: Kevin is imprisoned and Corrie is alive, but in a coma. Homer and Ellie are determined to get them back and to continue their campaign against the enemy. They discover that there are other rebels out there, fighting the invaders — but who are they and can they be trusted? As the pressure grows, can Ellie work out her conflicted feelings for the brilliant, arrogant Homer and the strong, gentle Lee? As war rages, and the enemy closes in, Ellie and her friends must once again fight for their lives... but how many of their band will be left? A truly involving story about teenagers facing the incredible challenges of warfare, amid the intensity of first love. Would you sacrifice everything to save your country and your family?

America, 2036: a wasteland in economic ruin. Terrorism and ultra-violence plague a once powerful society, whose people's only escape is to numb themselves on flashback — a euphoric yet cripplingly addictive drug that allows its users to revisit happier, past experiences. Ex-cop and addict Nick Bottom has seen flashback destroy his life. All he has left are the flash-induced memories of his beloved wife, taken from him in a fatal car accident. In despair and at rock bottom, Nick receives a proposition from billionaire magnate Hiroshi Nakamura. Nakamura wants to buy Nick's services. In particular, his memories...

Luciano Hernando Valdez is his Latin American nation's most celebrated novelist and he's suffering from writer's block. So far his latest great work comprises the words 'The scrawny yellow cat crossed the road'. He's tried all his usual tricks to get back on track — he's had a few debates with his trusty colleagues at the university, he's had an affair with the banker's wife, nothing will work. Until he meets Caterina. Beautiful, young and one of his biggest fans, she has idolized him since she was a child and he has inspired her to write. Convinced that falling in love with her, spending every minute he can alongside her, moulding her to his world, will unlock something and enable him to write, he pursues her and soon enough, he falls headlong into her arms. But it's only a matter of time before he murders her.

Ellie and her friends have achieved more than they ever thought possible as an unarmed bunch of amateur teenage fighters. But it's not enough. The war wages on, their families are in captivity and their country is on its knees. Hiding back in Hell, the friends face a big question: what to do next? The gang have another success when they manage to rescue Kevin. He returns to them equipped with a new knowledge of explosives. Suddenly the question of what to do next becomes clear — launch an attack on the major enemy target of Cobblers' Bay. Can Ellie, Homer, Fi, Robin, Lee and Kevin really stage a major military attack on the enemy? And in their attempt to pull it off, what will they have to sacrifice? They have already lost Corrie and Chris; who else will the group have to lose in their desperation to defend their country? The Third Day, The Frost, draws the reader deeper into the struggle of these ordinary teens attempting to survive in extraordinary times. A tense and moving read that will stay with you forever.

Flight Lieutenant Silk, a twice-decorated Lancaster pilot in WW II, rejoins the R.A.F. and qualifies to fly the Vulcan bomber. Piloting a Vulcan is an unforgettable experience: no other aircraft comes close to matching its all-round performance. And as bombers go, it's drop-dead gorgeous. But there's a catch. The Vulcan has only one role: to make a second strike. To act in retaliation for a Russian nuclear attack. Silk knows that knows that if he ever flies his Vulcan in anger, he'll be flying from a smoking wasteland, a Britain obliterated. But in the mad world of Mutually Assured Destruction, the Vulcan is the last — the only — deterrent. Derek Robinson returns with another rip-roaring, gung-ho R.A.F. adventure, one that exposes and confronts the brinkmanship and sabre-rattling of the Cold War Era.

In Titans, Simon Sebag Montefiore brings together a vivid and compelling selection of the lives of the towering figures that, for better of for worse, have changed the course of history. The 14th-century Mongol warlord Tamerlane, who once ordered the building of a pyramid of 70,000 human skulls from those that his army had beheaded, rubs shoulders with Oskar Schindler, the man whose selfless heroism saved over 1,000 Jews from death at the hands of the Nazis. Inbetween these two extremes are those extraordinary figures, like Henry VIII, in whom good and evil were mixed promiscuously. Inspiring and horrifying in equal measure, in Titans, Simon Sebag Montefiore has created an engaging, innovative and authoritative window into the history of the world.

Sometimes finding your dream man is a job for a professional... Alice Brown has the best job in the world. She's a matchmaker and spends her days helping people fall in love, all the while imagining her own Prince Charming, who's somehow never come along. Her latest client is Kate. She's 569 days from her 35th birthday and she's already five years behind in her life plan. Desperate to find the perfect man, she enlists Alice's help, but will anyone measure up to her standards? Meanwhile Alice is coping with her awful boss, Audrey, and trying to stop herself falling in love with someone else's man. But what if she's got it all wrong? Will Alice find Kate's Mr Right? And when it comes to her own Prince Charming, will she be able to take her own advice?

Our society has gone through a weird, unremarked transition: we've gone from regarding the Net as something exotic to something that we take for granted as a utilitarian necessity, like mains electricity or running water. In the process we've been remarkably incurious about its meaning, significance or cultural implications. Most people have no idea how the network works, nor any conception of its architecture; and few can explain why it has been — and continues to be — so uniquely disruptive in social, economic and cultural contexts. In other words, our society has become dependent on a utility that it doesn't really understand. John Naughton has distilled the noisy chatter surrounding the internet's relentless evolution into nine clear-sighted and accessible areas of understanding. In doing so he affords everyone the requisite knowledge to make better use of the technologies and networks around us, and see lucidly into their future implications. Along the way THE KNOWLEDGE covers areas as diverse as the science of complexity, the economics of abundance, the appeal of disruption and the problematic nature of intellectual property. THE KNOWLDEGE gives you all the basic, conceptual equipment you need to understand the Internet phenomenon.

Salander is plotting her revenge — against the man who tried to kill her, and against the government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. But it is not going to be a straightforward campaign. After taking a bullet to the head, Salander is under close supervision in Intensive Care, and is set to face trial for three murders and one attempted murder on her eventual release. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his researchers at Millennium magazine, Salander must not only prove her innocence, but identify and denounce the corrupt politicians that have allowed the vulnerable to become victims of abuse and violence. Once a victim herself, Salander is now ready to fight back.

Ever wanted to see the world in a new way? Infographica collects intriguing data from across our planet — including how many people were killed by cows in 2011, the average lifespan of people living on each continent and the number of McDonalds restaurants in different countries — and presents it in stylish, memorable and original infographics. Quirky, irreverent and visually appealing, this book is a must for everyone wishing to keep informed, and be inspired, by innovative graphic design.

In our jet-fuelled, caffeine-induced, celebrity-a-minute world, who actually has the time to learn a thing or two? C'mon, let's face it, life's too bloody short. What you need is instant knowledge. Told in ingenious pictograms that are witty, provocative and to the point, Life in Five Seconds takes 250 world events, inventions, great lives, places, animals and cultural icons that you really need to know about, and then, hey presto, cuts away all the useless details. The result is a hilarious visual snapshot that puts all of life into context. You'll laugh out loud as you identify the Last Supper, Lady Gaga, the moon landings, the Mona Lisa, the invention of electricity, Ikea, the Berlin Wall, giant pandas, celebrity chefs and everything in-between. This is the perfect gift for anyone with a sense of humour... and a short attention span.

This stunning collection of cutting-edge images and concise essays surveys the key breakthroughs that have shaped our understanding of the universe around us — from the discovery of the solar system to Supermassive black holes and the remote depths of the cosmos. Beginning with the theories put forward for the origin of our universe — the Big Bang and its rivals — and ending with what the eventual fate of our cosmos might be, this overview of 100 landmark discoveries tells the story of how we have endeavoured to understand the place of our own planet in the wider universe. Among the key concepts and discoveries examined are: the origin and development of matter; the Milky Way; the Sun and our solar system; the quest for life on Mars; the mysteries of star death and extreme objects; supernovae and 'hypernovae'; Dark Energy and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Superbly illustrated with over 300 stunning photographs, computer-generated images and illustrations which clarify even the most complex theories, this is a thought-provoking account of the scientific revelations that have shed light on our place in the universe and — perhaps the biggest question of all — if life exists anywhere else in the cosmos.

Love Me Do tells the story of the Beatles by highlighting and then examining in detail fifty significant events in their amazing career. Taking a completely new approach to the band, Paolo Hewitt creates one of the great Beatle biographies in time for the 50th anniversary of the release of the band's first single. Using huge amounts of research and personal insight, Paolo Hewitt will take the reader on a rollercoaster ride, from little-known moments such as the Beatles' audition to be Billy Fury's backing band, the band's early recording of 'That'll be the Day' and George Harrison being deported from Hamburg, to more famous moments, such as the band's stint at The Cavern, their 1969 rooftop gig and the making of the Sgt Pepper album. Beginning with the formation of the Beatles in the late 1950s and concluding with the band's reformation in 1996 — when Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr recorded and released two of John Lennon's songs — this book traces how the Beatles influenced their generation and countless others since.

Witness the drama of eagles catching giant bats on the wing, lizards stalking their prey on the backs of lions, antelope-hunting monkeys and a nail-biting giraffe fight. Share the discovery of the world's rarest fish species and the first-ever access to an island sanctuary for the elusive African penguin. Marvel at a Congo fish that flies like a butterfly and a love-struck beetle who thinks he's James Bond. Nowhere is more savage, more dangerous, yet more beautiful and alive than Africa. Join a unique expedition to the most extreme parts of this vast continent.

Darkness is the friend and enemy of those who hunt by night. Ellie and her friends have found safety after months of fighting. But the New Zealand Defence Force needs their help to infiltrate occupied Australian territory. And so the friends must fight on.

Is there any safer space for secret desires than virtual reality? This is the most unusual and compelling love story of the new millennium. It begins by chance: Leo receives emails in error from an unknown woman called Emmi. Being polite he replies, and Emmi writes back. A few brief exchanges are all it takes to spark a mutual interest in each other, and soon Emmi and Leo are sharing their innermost secrets and longings. The erotic tension simmers, and it seems only a matter of time before they will meet in person. But they keep putting off the moment — the prospect both unsettles and excites them. And, after all, Emmi is happily married. Will their feelings for each other survive the test of a real-life encounter?

Chil Rajchman, a Polish Jew, was arrested with his younger sister in 1942 and sent to Treblinka, a death camp where more than 750,000 were murdered before it was abandoned by German soldiers. His sister was sent to the gas chambers, but Rajchman escaped execution, working for ten months under incessant threats and beatings as a barber, a clothes-sorter, a corpse-carrier, a puller of teeth from those same bodies. In August 1943, there was an uprising at the camp, and Rajchman was among the handful of men who managed to escape. In 1945, he set down this account, a plain, unembellished and exact record of the raw horror he endured every day. This unique testimony, which has remained in the sole possession of his family ever since, has never before been published in English. For its description of unspeakably cruelty, Treblinka is a memoir that will not be superseded. In addition to Rajchman's account, this volume includes the complete text of Vasily Grossman's 'The Hell of Treblinka', one of the first descriptions of a Nazi extermination camp; a powerful and harrowing piece of journalism written only weeks after the camp was dissolved. Introduction by Samuel Moyn, Professor of History at Columbia University and author of A Holocaust Controversy: The Treblinka Affair in Postwar France.

Boxed set edition of the Millennium Trilogy, the first volume of which, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, has been adapted as a major Hollywood film starring Daniel Craig to be released on the 26th December. The set includes revised hardback editions of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, plus a fourth volume containing essays by those who knew and worked with the author, as well as other original material. Extra material in the fourth volume includes an essay by Eva Gedin, Larsson's publisher, on working with the author; an email correspondence between Larsson and Eva Gedin; an essay by John-Henri Holmberg, placing Stieg Larsson in the context of the resurgence of Scandinavian crime writing; maps and photographs.

Though controversial in his time, Gustav Klimt's works are today recognized as masterpieces. The Byzantine luxuriance of form, the vivid juxtaposition of colours and the rich symbolism, sensuality and eroticism of his work have made the artist one of the most popular in the world. In this lavish volume his most important and iconic works are arranged thematically, and accompanied by Rachel Barnes' expert commentary on all aspects of the artist's life, influences and paintings — from the inspiration and provenance of each painting, to the technique used to create it and a list of exhibitions. Interspersed with gold pages and featuring some of the most iconic artworks of the late 19th/early 20th centuries in spectacular giant-size — including Judith I, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer and The Kiss — this special edition presents Klimt's work in exquisite detail.

An unidentified corpse is recovered from a Lewis peat bog; the only clue to its identity being a DNA sibling match to a local farmer. But this islander, Tormod Macdonald — now an elderly man suffering from dementia — has always claimed to be an only child. When Tormod's family approach Fin Macleod for help, Fin feels duty-bound to solve the mystery.

What do you do if you've been married to a man for half your life and out of nowhere he leaves your bed — permanently? When this happens to Jeanie, she's furious and hurt, and determined to confront George, her husband of thirty years. Her worst fear is that he's in love with someone else. What did she do wrong? The brightest day of her week is Thursday, the day Jeanie takes her granddaughter to the park. There, one day, she meets Ray and his grandson. Ray is kind, easy to talk to, and gorgeous — everything George isn't. She starts to live for Thursdays. But does she have the courage to turn her life upside down for another shot at love? Family ties, dramas, secrets and lies all weave their way though this beautiful and insightful first novel.

Ever wondered what it takes to get into Fort Knox? Fancied a peek inside the Coca-Cola Safety Deposit Box? Would you dare to visit Three Mile Island? The world is full of secret places that we either don't know about, or couldn't visit even if we wanted to. Now you can glimpse the Tora Bora caves in Afghanistan, visit the Tuscon Titan Missile Site, tour the Vatican Archives, or see the Chapel of the Ark. This fascinating guide book takes a look at 100 places around the world that are either so hard to reach, so closely guarded, or so secret that they are virtually impossible to visit any other way.

Join us on a voyage of discovery to the world's most incredible places. This once-in-a-lifetime experience surveys every continent on the planet, selecting the most spectacular, heart-stirring and inspirational journeys — across landscapes so breathtaking that once seen they are never forgotten. Part reference, part travel guide, Dream Journeys contains a unique combination of inspirational photography, descriptive narrative and travel information: it will inspire and inform in equal measure. The 50 once-in-a-lifetime journeys featured in the book have been carefully selected by acclaimed travel writer Mary-Ann Gallagher. Geographically grouped and presented in easily accessible spreads, featured routes include America's renowned Route 66 and spectacular Pacific Coast Highway, the old and beautiful Orient Express and Silk Routes, stunning drives along Australia's Gold Coast and Stuart Highway, as well as more adventurous journeys across the plains of the Kalahari, to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, or around the magical Golden Triangle of the Orient. Beauty and nature abound on these journeys: discover incredible treks along Inca trails, winding paths along the foothills of the Andes, or the serene wilderness of the Trans-Siberian Railway and Antarctica. Or perhaps you would prefer to lay back and enjoy the romantic cities of Europe along the Appian Way; the paradise scenery of Costa Rica; or the awe-inspiring cruises down the Amazon or the Nile. Packed with travel tips and advice, as well as fascinating facts and descriptions of the world's most memorable routes, Dream Journeys allows the intrepid traveller to plan a trip of a lifetime or simply to explore the very best locations around the planet from the comfort of an armchair.