Michael Symmons Roberts’s fourth book of poetry, Corpus, was the winner of the 2004 Whitbread Poetry Award, and was shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize, the Forward Prize, and the Griffin International Prize. His sixth collection, Drysalter, was the winner of both the Forward Prize and the Costa Poetry Prize in 2013. He collaborated with Paul Farley on Edgelands (Cape/Vintage) and will do so again in The Deaths of the Poets (Cape, 2017). He has also worked many times with the composer James MacMillan. He has published two novels, and is Professor of Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Michael Symmons Roberts

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Jack Sheffield

As the 1982 school year begins, Jack Sheffield returns to Ragley village school for his sixth year as headteacher. Nora Pratt celebrates twenty-five years in her coffee shop, Ronnie Smith finally tries to get a job, and little Krystal Entwhistle causes concern in the school Nativity play. It's the time of ET and Greenham Common,. Price William's birth, Fame legwarmers and the puzzling introduction of the 20p piece. Meanwhile, for Jack, the biggest surprise of his life is in store...

Educating Jack

It's 1979: Dallas is enthralling the nation on TV, Mrs Thatcher has just become prime minister, Abba is top of the pops, and in the small Yorkshire village of Ragley-on-the-Forest, Jack Sheffield returns for his third year as headmaster of the village school. 
 
Jack and his staff struggle to keep a semblance of normality throughout the turbulence of the school terms, as once again the official School Log fails to record what is really going on beneath the seemingly quiet routine. Ruby the caretaker discovers her Prince Charming; Vera the school secretary gets to meet her hero, Nicholas Parsons; and Jack, to his astonishment, finds himself having to stand in as a curiously skinny Father Christmas. 
 
Jack also finds himself, at last, having to choose between the vivacious sisters Beth and Laura Henderson ... 
 
Praise for Jack Sheffield 
'Wry observation and heartwarming humour in equal measure' Alan Titchmarsh 
'Overflowing with amusing anecdotes' Daily Express 
'Amusing adventures at the North Yorkshire village school' Choice 
'Jack Sheffield's in a class of his own' York Press

Dear Teacher

It’s 1985, and as Jack returns for another year as headteacher at Ragley village school, some changes are in store. 
 
It’s the year of Halley’s Comet, Band Aid, Trivial Pursuit, Dynasty shoulder pads, Roland Rat and Microsoft Windows. And at Ragley-on-the-Forest, Heathcliffe Earnshaw decides to enter the village scarecrow competition, Ruby the caretaker finds romance, and retirement looms for Vera the secretary. 
 
Meanwhile, Jack has to battle with some rising stars of the teaching profession to save his job and his school . . . 
 
Readers love Jack Sheffield: 
'Wry observation and heartwarming humour in equal measure' Alan Titchmarsh 
'Overflowing with amusing anecdotes' Daily Express 
'Amusing adventures at the North Yorkshire village school' Choice 
'Jack Sheffield's in a class of his own' York Press

Star Teacher

The year is 1969 and Jack Sheffield is a young teacher in need of a job. 
 
In a room full of twenty-nine other newly qualified teachers, he's overjoyed when he's appointed to Heather View Primary. Jack is excited to start his first year there and to begin shaping young minds in a beautiful new location on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales. 
 
But Heather View isn't as idyllic as it first sounds. In fact, it looks more like a prison than a primary school. With less than adequate funding and a head teacher who doesn't seem to care, it's no easy task to give the kids the education they deserve. But Jack's determined to do just that. 
 
Full of warmth and good humour, Back to School is like taking a nostalgic walk through the past to a simpler time... 
_____________________ 
 
What readers are saying: 
 
***** 'I felt I was transported back in time. This was a joy to read.' 
***** 'By chapter 3 I loved this book so much that I ordered two other titles by this author!' 
***** 'So uplifting and joyous.' 
_____________________ 
 
Praise for Jack Sheffield: 
 
 'Wry observation and heartwarming humour in equal measure.' Alan Titchmarsh 
 'Overflowing with amusing anecdotes.' Daily Express 
 'Amusing adventures at the North Yorkshire village school.' Choice 
 'Jack Sheffield's in a class of his own.' York Press

Back to School

The delightful, feel-good novel from the author of the Teacher series

____________________________________________________________ 
Ragley, 1952. 
 
Lily has just arrived, ready to begin her first year as a teacher at the village school. There to welcome her is John Pruett, who, after his years in the war, has settled into the role of headmaster. Tom, the local bobby, is also on hand to make her feel at home up north. But Lily has a secret lurking in her past that threatens the new life she’s trying to build. 
 
Can she move forward and begin to love again? 
 
In his new novel, Jack Sheffield invites you to travel back in time. Back to the days when owning 
a television made you the envy of the neighbours, Woolworth’s still had pride of place on the 
high street and the village panto was the height of entertainment.

Starting Over

Mary Jane Staples

If you like Katie Flynn, Kristin Hannah and Fiona Valpy, you will love this enthralling, heart-wrenching page-turner of a romantic adventure from multi-million copy seller Mary Jane Staples. 
 
READERS ARE LOVING THE SUMMER DAY IS DONE! 
"I couldn't put it down" - 5 STARS 
"A good and entertaining read" - 5 STARS 
"Perfect" - 5 STARS 
 
*********************************************************************************** 
 
WILL WAR DEAL THE CRUELLEST BLOW OF ALL? 
 
Russia 1911: Young British agent John Kirby comes to Russia to work and to explore a new and exciting country - not to fall in love. But an invitation to the Tsar's ball changes all that. After an evening of dancing and romance, John and the Tsar's eldest daughter, Olga, are totally captivated by one another. 
 
Summers of tennis parties and picnics with Olga follow - life could not get any better. Until a cruel blow is dealt in 1914: John is forced to return to England and Olga and her family are caught up in the bitter and bloody war. 
 
Will John and Olga ever be reunited? Can their love survive the odds? Or will tragedy, pain and longing destroy them both? 
 
The Summer Day is Done was previously published as Woman in Berlin.

The Summer Day is Done

a magical and captivating romantic wartime saga that will keep you gripped

Susan Sallis

From the Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Sallis comes a wonderfully evocative novel, perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy, Fiona Valpy and Rosamunde Pilcher. 
 
READERS ARE LOVING AN ORDINARY WOMAN! 
"A remarkable story of love, life, pleasures and hazards. Strong characters who define this story. Excellent read and would strongly recommend Susan Sallis" -- 5 STARS 
"The storyline was captivating from the start..." - 5 STARS 
"This book held me from the first page to the last!" - 5 STARS 
"Very good story, loved every minute..." - 5 STARS 
 
*********************************************** 
WHEN NEEDED, WILL SHE BE ABLE TO RISE TO THE CHALLENGE? 
 
1945, Connecticut. A scandal breaks which forces a baffled Rose, aged four, and her mother to leave America and return home to England. 
 
The following May, a sister is born - Joanna or 'Jon'. Rose and Jon are like chalk and cheese. Jon is vivacious, fun, impetuous, rash and persuasive. Rose is reserved, steady, sure, reliable and...ordinary. It is her lot in life to hold the family together through times of tragedy and emotional upheaval. 
 
But, when, years later, Jon sets events in motion which send Rose across the Atlantic again and into the most extraordinary event of her life, can she ever be thought of as ordinary again?

An Ordinary Woman

An utterly captivating and uplifting story of one woman’s strength and determination…

Magnus Walker

**THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER** 
 
Magnus Walker is one of life’s originals. Serial entrepreneur, fashion designer, TV presenter, motivational speaker and one of the world’s most prolific Porsche collectors, the dreadlocked, tattooed hoarder of individual creativity is a very modern incarnation of success. 
 
Raised in the urban decay of Thatcher’s Britain, Sheffield-born Magnus Walker left school with just two O levels and drifted for several years before buying a one-way ticket to America. Now, 30 years and three successful businesses later, by following his instincts, rejecting convention and pursuing his passions Magnus has succeeded against all the odds. 
 
Here, for the first time, is the full story of his journey from a Northern steel town to the bright lights of Hollywood, from a boy with little hope to an anti-establishment hero. Along the way we’ll witness his potent combination of inspiration and graft, discover his motivations and his ambitions, and come to understand his philosophy and the keys to his success. 
 
Inspiring and exhilarating, URBAN OUTLAW is a compelling tale of succeeding through pure instinct and determination by a man who was brave enough to follow his own path.

Urban Outlaw

Dirt Don’t Slow You Down

Ruth Hamilton

This captivating and moving saga full of twists and turns by the Sunday Times bestselling author Ruth Hamilton is perfect for fans of Catherine Cookson, Dilly Court and Josephine Cox. 
 
"I believe that Ruth Hamilton is very much the successor to Catherine Cookson. Her books are plot driven, they just rip along; laughs, weeps, love, they've got the lot, and they're quality writing as well" -- SARAH BROADHURST, RADIO FOUR 
 
"Keeps you hooked to the last page" -- ***** Reader review 
"A wonderful story" -- ***** Reader review 
"Brilliant as always" -- ***** Reader review 
 
********************************************************** 
THE PAST AND PRESENT ARE ABOUT TO MEET IN TRAGEDY 
 
The Chandlers had been making candles in Bolton for five hundred years, and had given their name to the village of Chandlers Green. The dynasty, now in decline and ruled by Richard Chandler, is reduced to an unhappy household and a few tenanted properties. 
 
But Richard continues to behave as though he were lord of the manor. Jean, his wife, is terrified of him; his grown-up children despise him, but fear for their mother if they were to leave home. 
 
And now Richard's arch-enemy, Alf Martindale, is planning to move into his village, and Richard knows that the past is catching up with him fast. A crisis forces him to leave his manor for a while, and he has no way of knowing that Jean is arming herself against his return. 
 
The past and the present are about to come together in a way that can only end in tragedy...

Chandlers Green

A powerful and breathtakingly emotional saga set in the North West by bestselling author Ruth Hamilton

Iris Gower

Let bestselling author Iris Gower sweep you away with this captivating and mesmerising saga. If you like Dilly Court, Rosie Goodwin and Kitty Neale, you will love this! 
 
READERS ARE LOVING SWEET ROSIE! 
"The storyline and the characters make this book come alive" -- ***** Reader review 
"Didn't want it to finish" -- ***** Reader review 
"Keeps one wanting more" -- ***** Reader review 
"Brilliant read" -- ***** Reader review 
 
******************************************************************** 
A YOUNG GIRL'S LOVE FOR A MAN...A MAN WHO IS DESTINED TO LOVE ANOTHER 
 
Rosie, sixteen, beautiful and vivacious, is in love with Watt Bevan, the manager of the famous Mainwaring Pottery. Content to adore him from afar, when he comes to her seventeenth birthday party she realizes that he is the only man she will ever love. 
 
But Watt, unaware of her feelings, is becoming increasingly drawn into the problems facing pottery owner Llinos Mainwaring, whose romantic marriage to Joe, the American Indian who stole her heart all those years ago, now seems in trouble. 
 
Before long, Rosie discovers that she is changed for ever from the innocent girl she once was, as she becomes involved with a man whose love she is destined never to have. 
 
Sweet Rosie is the third novel in Iris Gower's Firebird series. The saga continues in Daughters of Rebecca. Have you read Firebird and Dream Catcher, where the story began?

Sweet Rosie

(Firebird:3) A breathtaking and absorbing Welsh saga you won’t want to put down

Johanna Lindsey

Prepare to get swept away by this sensational romantic adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey. If you like Bridgerton, Georgette Heyer and Jenny Hambly, you will love this! 
 
"First rate romance" -- NEW YORK TIMES 
 
"I have never been disappointed in her stories...A constant high level of quality" -- AFFAIRE DE COEUR 
 
"High-quality entertainment...The charm and appeal of her characters are infectious" -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 
 
"This story is a like a breath of fresh air after reading other samey historical romances [-] unexpected twists and a fulfilling end :)" -- ***** Reader review 
 
"Quite addictive" -- ***** Reader review 
 
************************************************ 
 
MISTAKEN IDENTITY. TUMULTUOUS LOVE. WILL SHE SURVIVE? 
 
Forced to flee Napoleon's rampaging army on the continent, orphaned Alana Farmer and her guardian find safety and a home in London. Years later, on the eve of her debut into Society, Alana learns the shocking secret of her birth right - is she really the lost princess of the kingdom of Lubinia? 
 
When she returns to their isolated homeland, Alana finds herself arrested on suspicion of being an imposter or a spy working for the enemies of the king. 
 
Captain of the Palace Guard, Christoph Becker, uses every means possible to draw the truth from his alluring prisoner... 
 
As a fiery passion flares between Alana and the man who has wrongly imprisoned her, the fate of a nation rests in their hands and on their hearts.

When Passion Rules

A deliciously passionate page-turner from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey

Dan Waddell

As ‘the voice of darts’, the inimitable Sid Waddell helped transform it from an unfashionable pub game to a massively successful international sport. His uninhibited enthusiasm, classical allusions and memorable one-liners endeared him to millions. His son Dan Waddell grew up in this smoky, boozy world and witnessed Sid’s turbulent journey from failed novelist and struggling TV producer to much-loved television personality. 
 
We Had Some Laughs is Dan’s warm, moving and funny account of Sid’s colourful life and career and a son’s memories of an unconventional dad. It is also a celebration of a way of life and a story of loss – of people, places and times now gone or changed for ever. But, most of all, it’s a story about fathers and sons, and the unshakeable bond between them.

We Had Some Laughs

Perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin, this is the powerful next instalment of the Cordwainers series from bestselling author Iris Gower. 
 
READERS ARE LOVING THE CORDWAINERS! 
"I have really enjoyed reading this whole series...I would recommend the reading of any of the books by this author." - 5 STARS 
"Loved these books [-] definitely recommend this series: once you start you will want to read them all" - 5 STARS 
"You finish one book and you just have to start the next one." - 5 STARS 
"The best book I've read in a long time..."-Reader review 
"A great read - hard to put down" - 5 STARS 
 
************************************************ 
 
WILL SHE CHOOSE PRISON OR A LOVELESS MARRIAGE? 
 
Arian - spirited and unconventional - had always shocked the residents of World's End with her wild behaviour. As she begins to make a name for herself in the leather and shoe-making trade, she is overjoyed when the intriguing and charismatic Calvin Temple decides to back her. Yet this backing proves disastrous when her venture with a French company fails and it looks as though all their money will be lost. 
 
When Arian sets out for France in desperation to try to salvage their investment, she falls foul of the law and is given a grim alternative to prison - a loveless marriage with a man she despises. 
 
Will she ever be able to find fulfilment with the man she loves, or will she be forced to face a life sentence of unhappiness? 
 
Arian is the fourth title in Iris Gower's Cordwainers series. Have you read The Shoemaker's Daughter, The Oyster Catchers and Honey's Farm, the previous three titles?

Arian (The Cordwainers: 4)

A heartbreaking and emotional Welsh saga you won’t be able to put down...

Fans of Bridgerton, Georgette Heyer and Jenny Hambly will love this sensational and sexy romantic adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey. 
 
"With that special touch of Lindsey humour and sexual tension, she wins her fans' hearts" -- ROMANTIC TIMES 
"First-rate romance" -- NEW YORK TIMES 
"Lindsey has mastered her craft, she creates fantasy...You want romance - you got it!" -- INSIDE BOOKS 
"This is a wonderful love story. Sexy cowboys, family feuds and so much more." -- ***** Reader review 
"Utter filth, loved it." -- ***** Reader review 
"Joanna Lindsey pulls you into the story, so much so, that you don't want to put the book down." -- ***** Reader review 
"Great read - couldn't stop reading once I started." -- ***** Reader review 
********************************************************************* 
 
HIDDEN IDENTITIES, FAMILY FEUDS AND A LOVE THAT WILL NEVER DIE 
 
Some young ladies marry for money and social standing, a few lucky ones marry for love, but Tiffany Warren is marrying to end a feud. 
 
The quarrel between the Warrens and the Callahans has to be resolved, but when Tiffany reluctantly travels west to meet rancher Hunter Callahan she finds herself being kidnapped by the enemy family. 
 
Hunter, a handsome, sweet-talking charmer whom she has to fight off because he can't keep his eyes-or his hands-off her, is unaware of Tiffany's true identity. 
 
But as Hunter goes about claiming his rightful bride-to-be, he knows that he has only one heart to win...

One Heart To Win

the perfectly passionate romantic adventure to sweep you away to the Wild West from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey

A gripping and heart-warming saga set in Lancashire from The Sunday Times bestseller Ruth Hamilton, perfect for fans of Catherine Cookson. Guaranteed to keep you turning the page... 
 
"Very much the successor to Catherine Cookson. Her books are plot driven, they just rip along; laughs, weeps, love, they've got the lot, and they're quality writing as well" - Sarah Broadhurst on Radio Four. 
"Brilliant! I have read this book so many times I've had to buy 2 paperback copies before finally getting it on KINDLE. This has it all, pathos, humour, tragedy and emotion. I recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I have." - ***** Reader review 
"One of Ruth Hamilton's finest." - ***** Reader review 
"Really good read and twist at the end..." - *****Reader review 
 
******************************************************** 
 
AS THE WAR SIRENS SOUND, SO THEY BEGIN THEIR OWN BATTLE FOR NEW FULFILLING LIVES... 
 
Billy London is a mean, dark, secretive man who is interested only in lining his pockets at the expense of those around him - most especially his wife and daughters. 
 
When Ellen, his wife, who has put up with him for years, finds her children threatened, she prepares to fight like a tigress to protect the four girls, to give them a chance of a new and better life and a chance to escape from the evil and oppressive legacy of their father. 
 
There is Abigail, clever, ambitious, and with an outer shell of steel that is necessary if she is to survive; Tishy, overwhelmingly lovely, who lives in a world all her own; Marie, brisk, capable, and nearly strong enough to defy her father on her own; Theresa, more wounded, more vulnerable, more damaged by Billy than any of them. 
 
As the sirens of 1939 herald the advent of war, so Billy London's girls begin their own battle for new, triumphant, and fulfilling lives.

Billy London's Girls

A captivating and uplifting saga set in Bolton during WW2 from bestselling author Ruth Hamilton

If you like Dilly Court and Catherine Cookson, you'll love this emotional and powerful story of revenge and retribution from the Sunday Times bestselling author Ruth Hamilton. 
 
"I believe that Ruth Hamilton is very much the successor to Catherine Cookson. Her books are plot driven, they just rip along; laughs, weeps, love, they've got the lot, and they're quality writing as well" SARAH BROADHURST, RADIO FOUR 
 
"Probably the most moving story I have ever read" -- **** Reader review 
 
"A fantastic read" -- ***** Reader review 
 
"Wonderful author" -- ***** Reader review 
 
"Loved it" -- ***** Reader review 
 
***************************************************************************** 
 
SHE'S VOWED TO TAKE REVENGE, NO MATTER WHAT THE COST... 
 
When Bernard Walsh moves his family from Bolton to Liverpool he does not expect the past to pursue him. But Theresa Nolan, consumptive and angry, is bent on revenge and settles within three miles of Bernard's new home, wreaking havoc from the Mersey to the moorlands of Lancashire. 
 
Meanwhile, against a backdrop of dissent and violence, two young girls, separated by fate but bound by blood, begin to wend their often troubled way towards the tranquility and comradeship of the Corner House. 
 
What does the future hold in store?

The Corner House

An enthralling and deeply moving saga set in the North West from bestselling author Ruth Hamilton

J.M. Maloney

'A tale of survival.' Daily Mail 
 
'Survival against the odds ... [an] amazing story.' The Sun 
 
In 1939 Annie Jarman and her six young daughters were evacuated from their south London home and sent to the Sussex countryside to wait out the war. Refusing to be parted, they faced the unknown together, never imagining just how much their lives would change. 
 
 From the trials and tribulations of leaving London, the destructive horror of the Blitz and terrible family tragedy to dances, romances and the triumph of making a new life in the country, The Sisters of Battle Road is the compelling true story of six ordinary girls in extraordinary wartime circumstances. 
 
 Today, the six young girls – Mary, Joan, Sheila, Kathleen, Patricia and Ann – are six remarkable women who have lived to tell their tale of sisterhood and its unbreakable bonds in the shadow of World War Two.

The Sisters of Battle Road

The Extraordinary True Story of Six Sisters Evacuated from Wartime London

David Hand

Why is it that incredibly unlikely phenomena actually happen quite regularly and why should we, in fact, expect such things to happen? Here, in this highly original book - aimed squarely at anyone with an interest in coincidences, probability or gambling - eminent statistician David Hand answers this question by weaving together various strands of probability into a unified explanation, which he calls the improbability principle. 
 
This is a book that will appeal not only to those who love stories about startling coincidences and extraordinarily rare events, but also to those who are interested in how a single bold idea links areas as diverse as gambling, the weather, airline disasters and creative writing as well as the origin of life and even the universe. The Improbability Principle will change your perspective on how the world works – and tell you what the Bible code and Shakespeare have in common, how to win the lottery, why Apple's song shuffling was made less random to seem more random. Oh and why lightning does in fact strike twice...

The Improbability Principle

Why coincidences, miracles and rare events happen all the time

David Hall

In the early 1950s Britain was still the most urbanized and industrialized nation in the world, a global power in shipbuilding and the leading European producer of coal, steel, cars and textiles. For the many millions of men and women hard at work during that time, an infernal landscape of smoke-blackened factories, towering slag heaps and fiery furnaces dominated their lives. From the deep docks and towering cranes of the Tyneside shipyards to the mills and chimneys of Lancashire and beyond, Working Lives takes us right to the heart of those industrial centres through the words of those who were there. 
 
Drawn together from hundreds of hours of first-hand interviews, Working Lives is a unique collection of oral testimonies from workers whose stories might not otherwise have been told: mill girls who risked life and limb in dusty, noisy weaving sheds; steel workers who wrestled sheets of white-hot metal in the blistering heat of the foundries; and miners who hewed coal by hand on filthy, cramped, claustrophobic coalfaces. 
 
Local industries shaped these workers’ entire lives but also gave them a sense of pride, identity and belonging. As they look back on the dangers and hardships of their jobs, and the place of industry in their close-knit communities, these fascinating voices paint a vivid and moving portrait of working life in Britain not to be forgotten.

Working Lives

Alan Johnson

Winner of the Parliamentary Book Award, best memoir by a Parliamentarian, 2016 
 
From the condemned slums of Southam Street in West London to the corridors of power in Westminster, Alan Johnson’s multi-award-winning autobiography charts an extraordinary journey, almost unimaginable in today’s Britain. This third volume tells of Alan’s early political skirmishes as a trades union leader, where his negotiating skills and charismatic style soon came to the notice of Tony Blair and other senior members of the Labour Party. 
As a result, Alan was chosen to stand in the constituency of Hull West and Hessle, and entered Parliament as an MP after the landslide election victory for Labour in May 1997. But this is no self-aggrandizing memoir of Westminster politicking and skulduggery. Supporting the struggle of his constituents, the Hull trawlermen and their families, for justice comes more naturally to Alan than do the byzantine complexities of Parliamentary procedure. But of course he does succeed there, and rises through various ministerial positions to the office of Home Secretary in 2009. 
In The Long and Winding Road, Alan’s characteristic honesty and authenticity shine through every word. His book takes you into a world which is at once familiar and strange: this is politics as you’ve never seen it before…

The Long and Winding Road

BBC2's Eggheads - now in its seventh series - is one of the most successful quiz shows on television. Day after day, brilliant teams from across the nation try their luck against the seemingly invincible Eggheads - Kevin Ashman (World Quiz Champion), Judith Keppel (first Millionaire winner), Chris Hughes (International Mastermind champion), Daphne Fowler (current Brain of Britain) and CJ de Mooi (multiple quiz show winner). 
 
Packed full of gruelling questions set by the individual Eggheads to test you on their specialist subjects as well as your general knowledge, The Eggheads Quiz Book gives you a chance to see if you are a worthy opponent. Can anyone beat the Eggheads?

The Eggheads Quizbook 2007 edition

Bryan Sykes

Bryan Sykes, the world's first genetic archaeologist, takes us on a journey around the family tree of Britain and Ireland, to reveal how our tribal history still colours the country today. 
 
In 54BC Julius Caesar launched the first Roman invasion of Britain. His was the first detailed account of the Celtic tribes that inhabited the Isles. But where had they come from and how long had they been there? When the Romans eventually left five hundred years later, they were succeeded by invasions of Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Normans. Did these successive invasions obliterate the genetic legacy of the Celts, or have very little effect? 
 
After two decades tracing the genetic origins of peoples from all over the world, Bryan Sykes has now turned the spotlight on his own back yard. In a major research programme, the first of its kind, he set out to test the DNA of over 10,000 volunteers from across Britain and Ireland with the specific aim of answering this very question: what is our modern genetic make-up and what does it tell us of our tribal past? Are the modern people of the Isles a delicious genetic cocktail? Or did the invaders keep mostly to themselves forming separate genetic layers within the Isles? 
 
As his findings came in, Bryan Sykes discovered that the genetic evidence revealed often very different stories to the conventional accounts coming from history and archaeology. Blood of the Isles reveals the nature of our genetic make-up as never before and what this says about our attitudes to ourselves, each other, and to our past. It is a gripping story that will fascinate and surprise with its conclusions.

Blood of the Isles

Jack Ewing

A shocking exposé of Volkswagen’s fraud by the New York Times reporter who covered the scandal. 
 
Updated with a New Afterword by the Author. 
 
When news of Volkswagen’s clean diesel fraud first broke in September 2015, it sent shockwaves around the world. Overnight, the company long associated with quality, reliability and trust became a universal symbol of greed and deception. Consumers were outraged, investors panicked, the company embarrassed and facing bankruptcy. 
 
As lawsuits and criminal investigations piled up, by August 2016 VW had settled with American regulators and car-owners for $15 billion, with additional fines and claims still looming. 
 
In Faster, Higher, Farther, Jack Ewing rips the lid off the scandal. He describes VW’s rise from “the people’s car” during the Nazi era to one of Germany’s most prestigious and important global brands, touted for being “green.” He paints vivid portraits of Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piëch and chief executive Martin Winterkorn, arguing that their unremitting ambition drove employees, working feverishly in pursuit of impossible sales targets, to illegal methods. 
 
With unprecedented access to key players and a ringside seat during the course of the legal proceedings, Faster, Higher, Farther reveals how the succeed-at-all-costs culture prevalent in modern boardrooms led to one of corporate history’s farthest-reaching cases of fraud—with potentially devastating consequences. 
 
As the future of one of the world’s biggest companies remains uncertain, this is the extraordinary story of Volkswagen’s downfall.

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