Joseph Delaney used to be an English teacher, before becoming the best-selling author of the Spook's series, which has been published in 30 countries and sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide. The first book, The Spook's Apprentice, was adapted into a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.

Joseph Delaney

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Titch Cormack

War came to North Africa in June 1940. But it was over a year before a newly-formed SAS went into action. Until then, the fight belonged to an elite, top secret band of brothers called the Long Range Desert Group. 
 
They were Britain’s first special forces. 
 
Born out of a pre-war club of explorers, eccentrics and mavericks, the LRDG operated alone behind enemy lines, performing astonishing feats of navigation, endurance and survival, and paved the way for the SAS. 
 
Drawing on his own decade’s service with UK Special Forces, Titch Cormack brings to life the action-packed but little-known story of Britain’s original rogue heroes.

SAS 101

K. Iggulden

Told in a series of snapshots, A House for Two Pounds is filled with wit, warmth and joy. It follows the life of Kathleen Iggulden, and is a quietly powerful account of life on Brookdale farm. Though it is very personal, it tells the wider story of a vanished Ireland; an era of innocence, community and pure elbow grease.

A House for Two Pounds

Franci Rabinek Epstein

What are you willing to do to survive? What are you willing to endure if it means you might live? 
 
In the summer of 1942, twenty-two-year-old Franci Rabinek - designated a Jew by the Nazi racial laws - arrived at Terezin, a concentration camp and ghetto forty miles north of her home in Prague. It would be the beginning of her three-year journey from Terezin to the Czech family camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau, to the slave labour camps in Hamburg, and finally Bergen Belsen. 
 
Franci, a spirited and glamorous young woman, was known among her fellow inmates as the Prague dress designer. Having endured the transportation of her parents, she never forgot her mother's parting words: 'Your only duty to us is to stay alive'. During an Auschwitz selection, Franci would spontaneously lie to Nazi officer Dr Josef Mengele, and claim to be an electrician. It was a split-second decision that would go on to endanger - and save - her life. 
 
Unpublished for 50 years, Franci's War is an astonishing account of one woman's attempt to survive. Heartbreaking and candid, Franci finds the light in her darkest years and the horrors she faces instill in her, strength and resilience to survive and to live again. She gives voice to the women prisoners in her tight-knit circle of friends. Her testimony sheds new light on the alliances, love affairs, and sexual barter that took place during the Holocaust, offering a compelling insight into the resilience and courage of ordinary people in an extraordinary situation.

Franci's War

The incredible true story of one woman's survival of the Holocaust

Teresa Lim

A cherished family photograph, taken in Hong Kong, 1935, sets Teresa Lim on a journey to uncover her family history. Through detective work, serendipity, and the kindness of strangers she was guided to the fascinating, ordinary, extraordinary life of her great-aunt Fanny, and her world of sworn spinsters, ghost husbands and the working-class feminists of 19th century south China. 
 
But to recover her great-aunt's past, we must first get to know Fanny's family, the times and circumstances in which they lived, and the momentous yet forgotten conflicts that would lead to war in Singapore and, ultimately, a long-buried family tragedy.

The Interpreter's Daughter

A remarkable true story of feminist defiance in 19th Century Singapore

Karen Farrington

In 1940, as Britain braced for war, a group of poor London girls were dispatched to a children's home in Ascot to escape the merciless Luftwaffe bombing. At Englemere Wood they came under the care of the formidable but kindly Matron Doris Bailey - the Angel of Englemere - who cherished each girl as her own. 
 
 Through first-hand accounts from the surviving girls, their stories and anecdotes shed light on life at the time - from the emotional upheaval of evacuation to adventures on the royal grounds of their new home - and the work of a woman who helped save a generation.

The Angels of Englemere Wood

The uplifting and inspiring true story of a children’s home during the Blitz

James Holland

Part of the new Ladybird Expert series, The Desert War is an accessible. insightful and authoritative introduction to the standoff between the Axis and Allies in the harsh deserts of North Africa. 
 
Historian, author and broadcaster James Holland draws on the latest research and interviews with participants to bring colour, detail and a fresh perspective to the story of how the British blunted Mussolini's ambitions in Africa, making Italy a liability rather than an asset to Germany. 
 
Inside, you'll discover how tactics, organisation and new technologies were brought to bear, about the different challenges faced by both the Axis and the Allies, and, above all, the skill, bravery and endurance of those engaged in a contest that was of critical importance to the outcome of the war.

The Desert War

Book 4 of the Ladybird Expert History of the Second World War

Jason Hazeley

Joel Morris

These delightful books are the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the world about them. 
 
The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope. The subject of the books will greatly appeal to grown-ups. 
 
The eight books in the series feature original Ladybird artwork alongside brilliantly funny, brand new text. The other books in the series are: 
 
- The Ladybird Book of Mindfulness 
 
- The Ladybird Book of Sheds 
 
- The Ladybird Book of The Hipster 
 
- The Ladybird Book of the Mid-Life Crisis 
 
- The Ladybird Book of the Hangover 
 
- The Ladybird Book of Dating 
 
- How it Works: The Husband 
 
- How it Works: The Wife

*A HILARIOUS, BRAND NEW BOOK IN THE PHENOMENAL LADYBIRDS FOR GROWN UPS SERIES FOR AUTUMN 2018* 
 
The Story of Brexit - a nugget of wisdom from bestselling authors Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris. 
 
This delightful book is the latest in the series of Ladybird books which have been specially planned to help grown-ups with the world about them. 
 
The large clear script, the careful choice of words, the frequent repetition and the thoughtful matching of text with pictures all enable grown-ups to think they have taught themselves to cope. Featuring original Ladybird artwork alongside brilliantly funny, brand new text.

The Story of Brexit

BOOK 11 OF THE LADYBIRD EXPERT HISTORY OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, FROM AWARD-WINNING HISTORIAN JAMES HOLLAND 
 
Featuring stunning illustrations from Keith Burns, bringing the story to life in vivid detail 
 
What was Operation Bagration? 
Why did the Warsaw Uprising fail? 
How were the Nazis finally crushed? 
 
BRITAIN'S VICTORY IN EUROPE was a pivotal moment in the impending end of WW2, but it was no easy feat. 
 
With most of Europe under Axis control, the Allies battled through the brutal winter of 1945 to overcome German forces and finally defeat Hitler. 
 
THE PINNACLE MOMENT IN BRITAIN'S WW2 SUCCESS 
 
Written by historian, author and broadcaster James Holland, Victory in Europe is an essential, accessible introduction to Britain's triumph over the Nazis. 
__________ 
 
Discover the full Ladybird Expert WW2 series: 
Blitzkrieg 
The Battle of Britain 
Battle of the Atlantic 
The Desert War 
The Eastern Front 
The Pacific War 
The Bomber War 
The War in Italy 
The Battle for Normandy 
The War in Burma 
Victory in Europe 
Victory Against Japan

Victory in Europe 1944-1945: A Ladybird Expert Book

(WW2 #11)

Mark Smith

Sunday evenings wouldn't be the same without Mark Smith on Antiques Roadshow. 
 
Seeing beyond military memorabilia to the human stories at their heart has made him a national treasure. 
 
Mark’s fascination was fostered by his WWII veteran father, who shared stories of flying special operations for the RAF. But Smith Snr was also haunted by the loss of his best friend, Harry, on a secret mission over the Indian Ocean. 
 
From the pages of his father’s unpublished wartime memoir, to a pilgrimage to a Chennai cemetery, Mark takes us on his most personal journey, bringing closure to his father’s story.

Medal Man

Pete Davies

In 1918, the Spanish Flu killed over forty million people. 
 
More Americans than all the wars the US fought in the entire twentieth century. More than fifteen million in India alone. 
 
For years, scientists have agreed that the next pandemic is not a question of if, but when. 
 
And they were right. 
 
As our planet faces another devastating pandemic, Catching Cold tells the extraordinary story of the urgent and unrelenting global effort to try to protect us. From the inhospitable wastes of the Norwegian Arctic circle to the frenzied food markets of Hong Kong, Davies tracks a small community of experts, working against the clock to uncover what turns a virus into a worldwide disaster, and how best to prevent it - because knowing something's coming is not at all the same thing as being ready for it

Catching Cold

1918's Forgotten Tragedy and the Scientific Hunt for the Virus That Caused It

Keith Burns

From the internationally acclaimed historian James Holland comes an enthralling and illuminating account of the key battles and crucial turning points of the Second World War, brought vividly to life with over 280 full colour illustrations from award-winning artist Keith Burns. 
 
Complex, total and global, the Second World War was the deadliest conflict in human history, with over 300 million soldiers seeing combat. The movements and turns of these six deadly years have had far-reaching consequences which still impact our global relations today. From the horrors of the Western Front to the paddy fields of Burma, The Second World War: An Illustrated History takes us through each key moment across the history, in an accessible and authoritative account from a master military historian and captivating illustrator.

The Second World War

An Illustrated History

Part of the new Ladybird Expert series, Battle of Britain is an accessible, insightful and authoritative account of the most famous aerial battle in history. 
 
Historian, author and broadcaster James Holland draws on the latest research and interviews with participants to bring colour, detail and a fresh perspective to the story. 
 
Inside, you'll discover how tactics, organisation and new technologies were brought to bear, about the different challenges faced by both the RAF and the Luftwaffe, and, above all, the skill, bravery and endurance of the airmen engaged in a contest that was of critical importance to the outcome of the war. 
 
Written by the leading lights and most outstanding communicators in their fields, the Ladybird Expert books provide clear, accessible and authoritative introductions to subjects drawn from science, history and culture. 
 
Other books currently available in the Ladybird Expert series include: 
 
· Climate Change 
· Quantum Mechanics 
· Evolution 
· Shackleton 
 
For an adult readership, the Ladybird Expert series is produced in the same iconic small hardback format pioneered by the original Ladybirds. Each beautifully illustrated book features the first new illustrations produced in the original Ladybird style for nearly forty years.

The Battle of Britain: Book 2 of the Ladybird Expert History of the Second World War

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