Ever since comedies were first performed in the ancient world, the definition of the term ‘comedy’ has been debated by both playwrights and critics. Originally published in 1978, this volume does not attempt a precise definition, but reviews the various interpretations that have been put forward through the ages, taking as evidence important theoretical writings as well as the plays themselves, and pointing out not only common features but also notable exceptions.The comic drama of...

A riveting psychological drama that unfolds over the course of one Moscow winter, as a thirty-something Englishman’s moral compass is spun by the seductive opportunities revealed to him by a new Russia: a land of hedonism and desperation, corruption and kindness, magical dachas and debauched nightclubs: a place where secrets – and corpses – come to light only when the deep snows start to thaw…

The Times Historical Book of the Month ''Vivid, page-turning [and] unlike anything else you'll read this year. Do not miss it' Gabriel Bergmoser, author of The Hunted Even in the vast outback, the past can't stay buried forever Death follows young Tommy McBride everywhere. Five years ago his family was murdered, and now a freak accident sends him fleeing into the wilderness of the Australian outback with a man lying dead in his wake. But Tommy is haunted by even worse - as children, he and...

A witty and life-affirming account of a spiritual seeker’s year-long quest for enlightenment.'What if you could find inner peace right where you are? No one-way ticket to paradise required...'After a terrible year, feeling burned out and broken, Emma Howarth decided to go on a year-long mystical adventure - from the comfort of her own home.The result was a year that changed everything. A year that turned frantic chaos into ...

Faraday, such a beautiful part of the world. A small hamlet in rural Victoria, nestled under the serene gaze of Mount Alexander. Once, families of many generations proudly farmed their land, knew and helped their neighbours, and, in the 19th century this community built a beautiful granite school building that would be known as the Faraday State School 797. It was a source of pride to the community and educated their children well. This school building provided the social hub for the commu...

In the late 1950s, Mario Bava helped to create and define the Italian horror film. His classic directorial works of the 1960s and 1970s, including Black Sunday, Kill, Baby … Kill! and Lisa and the Devil, remain among the most colorful and imaginative in the history of the genre. Bava’s films are rife with unforgettable images—Barbara Steele’s uncanny beauty being brutally violated in Black Sunday, Christopher Lee returning from the grave marked by his bloody demise in The Whip and the Body...

The unlikely beginnings of the East India Company—from Tudor origins and rivalry with the superior Dutch—to laying the groundwork for future British expansionThe East India Company was the largest commercial enterprise in British history, yet its roots in Tudor England are often overlooked. The Tudor revolution in commerce led ambitious merchants to search for new forms of investment, not least in risky overseas enterprises—and for these “adventurers” the most prof...

Shortlisted for Best Horror Novel at this year's British Fantasy Awards!This Is England meets Taxi Driver in this violent, propulsive novel written for these dark times.When Henry Oswald loses everything in a gas explosion in his hometown, he stumbles from disaster to disaster before being picked up by a local community group full of good intentions. Yet beneath their veneer of benevolence lies hatred and division. Half-in...

THE DOOMSDAY LEGACYThe key to the world's salvation - or to its darkest nightmare?A DEADLY THREATWhen his uncle, a retired CIA agent, turns up dead on a train in Eastern Europe, international war photographer, Mason Bradley is caught in the middle. The Russian Mafiya and shady factions of the CIA believe the former agent was carrying something of vital importance. But where is it now? They suspect that Bradley knows the answer, only h...

Death follows young Tommy McBride everywhere. Five years ago his family was murdered, and now a freak accident sends him fleeing into the wilderness of the Australian outback with a man lying dead in his wake. But Tommy is haunted by even worse – as children, he and his brother Billy witnessed the state-sanctioned massacre of the Kurrong people by the ruthless Native Police Inspector Noone, and they haven't seen each other since. When an official enquiry is launched into the massacre, the ...

Follow the adventures of the heroic Hiron IV in two separate, but complete stories as he battles against evil: Hiron and the Lightning God It is a dark time in the world, and an evil lightning god is leading a demon army into battle with men. The men are very powerful. King Aruban the leader of the army of men, comes face to face with the demon god Alatt. Aruban takes a very powerful swing with his sword, and knocks Alatts sword out of his hand. He then picks up the sword of Alatt and dest...

'I needed to be better... and summat needed to change – to keep them safe. To fix my family.'When her mother disappears, teenager Cassie wants to care for her sisters on her own. But can kids be parents? Or should Cassie let foster parents adopt her sisters and create a new family?Alex Howarth's play Cassie and the Lights is a tender and playful examination of what makes a family and what holds it together. Based on real-life events and interviews with chi...