‘A little advice from Papa will not come amiss’So writes ‘the Old Boy’, working in the Colonial Service in Ethiopia to his son ‘Chips’, leaving Scotland for a life in the Rhodesian police (BSAP) in March 1963.It was certainly a life-shaping letter, extolling variously on God, moral values, manners, healthy living, women, and what to do if in ‘a spot of bother’. And it befitted the man, Norman Blake, then in his 60s, who wanted more than anything for his son, Fraser, to ‘hav...

A corrupt prime minister uses current anti-terror laws to Orwellian extremes in this “sophisticated, engrossing, and important political thriller” (The Washington Post).In a near-future England, there are still concerns about terrorism, the press is still feisty, and the prime minister is about to call a general election. But unknown even to most government officials, new technology and anti-terror laws have been used to establish unprecedented control ove...

The autobiography of one of Britain's most beloved figures, last of the Mitford sisters, renowned writer and social figure.Deborah Mitford, Duchess of Devonshire, is the youngest of the famously witty brood of six daughters and one son that included the writers Jessica and Nancy, who wrote, when Deborah was born, "How disgusting of the poor darling to go and be a girl." Deborah's effervescent memoir Wait for Me! chronicles her remarkable life, from an eccen...

Queen Victoria was the ultimate Victorian, and she was not amused. Luckily YOU will be splitting your sides - because the prim and proper Victorians were actually a jolly naughty bunch!

A powerful and intensely human insight into the civil war in Zimbabwe, focusing on a white farmer and his maid who find themselves on opposing sides.One bright morning Nigel Hough, one of the few remaining white farmers in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, received the news he was dreading – a crowd were at the gate demanding he surrender his home and land. To his horror, his family's much-loved nanny Aqui was at the head of the violent mob that then stole his homestead and imprisoned him in an o...

News, views and hilarious stories from the legend of Newsnight and long-standing quiz master of University Challenge.‘Bursting with good things’ Daily TelegraphDuring 25 years as BBC Newsnight’s supreme inquisitor, Jeremy Paxman proved himself as the master of the political intervview. From John Major to Theresa May and Tony Blair to Ed Miliband, he has them quaking in their boots. But it wasn’t just politicians. Paxman’s interview...

On the backbenches but still in the thick of it, Decline and Fall runs from Chris Mullin's sacking as a minister by Tony ('The Man') Blair in 2005 to the fall of New Labour in May 2010. Here is politics as it really is: entertaining encounters with constituents and conspirators, tantalising glimpses behind the scenes at the courts of Blair and Brown, all set against the background of the global financial crisis and the great expenses meltdown.Every bit as funny and insight...

'It is said that failed politicians make the best diarists. In which case I am in with a chance.' Chris MullinChris Mullin has been a Labour MP for twenty years, and despite his refusal to toe the party line - on issues like 90 days detention, for example - he has held several prominent posts. To the apoplexy of the whips, he was for a time the only person appointed to government who voted against the Iraq War. He also chaired the Home Affairs Select Committee and was a me...

After the introspective years following Tom’s death, events take a very dramatic turn. There’s a devastating cholera outbreak in India, Luke Star is dicing with death as a mercenary in Greece, while in New Orleans, Henry Star has a potential troublemaker ruthlessly disposed of… and the villainous John Star continues to pose a danger to both families. Meanwhile, haunted by past misdeeds, one of the settlers in Upstate New York panics when he spots a familiar face in town, leading to a blood...

The quintessentially English cricket commentator, writer, oenophile, bon viveur, collector and national treasure, fondly known as “Blowers”, tells his riveting life story.Born in Norfolk and educated at Eton and Cambridge, Henry Calthorpe Blofeld OBE, nicknamed “Blowers” by the late Brian Johnston, is best known as a cricket commentator for Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. His distinctively rich, cut glass voice and his vividly eccentric observat...

Denys Finch Hatton was adored by women and idolized by men. A champion of Africa, legendary for his good looks, his charm, and his prowess as a soldier, lover, and hunter, Finch Hatton inspired Karen Blixen to write the unforgettable stories in Out of Africa. Now esteemed British biographer Sara Wheeler tells the truth about this extraordinarily charismatic adventurer.Born to an old aristocratic family that had gambled away most of its fortune, Finch Hatton grew up in a wo...

Topical satire from the authors of Is it Just Me or is Everything Shit?‘Is the Cameron government a coup?’ This is the question under discussion in this witty and topical article from the bestselling authors of ‘Is it Just Me or is Everything Shit’. This question, and 44 other questions, orbiting this central question like satellites of love. Such as, ‘Will Cameron kill Clegg?’ and ‘Did Sam Cam invent trip-hop?’ You know, important stuff. Like, ‘Is it wise to put Sir Toby Young in ...