The story of contemporary Ireland is inseparable from the story of the official republican movement, a story told here for the first time - from the clash between Catholic nationalist and socialist republicanism in the 1960s and '70s through the Workers' Party's eventual rejection of irredentism. A roll-call of influential personalities in the fields of politics, trade unionism and media - many still operating at the highest levels of Irish public life - passed though the ranks of this sec...

Surprising myself I sprang quickly to Christianitys defence by countering, Look, Hon, lets face it, in most of recorded history, religion has given men and women universal direction, promises of forgiveness of sins and an afterlife. Those are huge inducements to believe, lets face it.Whose side was I on, I wondered. So did Mark.Hey, hang on, sweetheart, Mark frowned at me in surprise, but isnt that direction, as you put it, innate now in humans anyway?...

'Susie Dent is a one-off. She breathes life and fun into words and language' Pam Ayres'Susie Dent is a national treasure' Richard OsmanWelcome to a year of wonder with Susie Dent, lexicographer, logophile, and longtime queen of Countdown's Dictionary Corner.From the real Jack the Lad to the theatrically literal story behind stealing someone's thunder, from tartle (forgetting someone...

The authoritative and fascinating history of the rise and fall of the state-owned British Rail'Wolmar's book is impeccably organised and makes a fast, enjoyable read' THE TIMES Literary Supplement________British Rail wasn't how we're asked to remember it . . .From ancient rolling stock to patchy service, stale sandwiches to the wrong kind of snow, British Rail - our last great state-owned or...

UPDATED WITH A NEW CHAPTER ON THE 2024 ELECTIONA GUARDIAN AND DAILY TELEGRAPH POLITICS BOOK OF THE YEAR'BRILLIANT' ANDREW MARR'MAJESTIC' GUARDIAN'ESSENTIAL' JON SOPEL'A CRACKING READ' FINANCIAL TIMES'A SHARP INSIDER ACCOUNT' NEW STATESMANThe full inside story of fourtee...

**"Multifaceted, surprising, and full of wonders…You really owe it to yourself to read it." —Tim Harford, author of How to Make the World Add UpThe complete story of the universe and absolutely everything in it (minus the boring parts).**Despite our clever linguistic abilities, humans are spectacularly ill-equipped to comprehend what’s happening in the universe. Our senses and intuition routinely mislead us. The Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (Abridged...

'One of stand-up's great naturals. No one told a story better' GUARDIAN⭐⭐ THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING HILARIOUS BOOK OF GLOBAL ADVENTURES FROM THE NATION'S FAVOURITE COMEDIAN ⭐⭐Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I've met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights - and I've rarel...

The ultimate guide to every President there's ever been: 46 profiles by 46 different politicians, journalists and academics compiled by leading political commentator Iain Dale'A must read for political geeks' - Saqib Bhatti, MPNever has there been a more pressing time to pay attention to American politics - and understand how we got to where we are today.The Presidents features essays, written by a range of academics, historians, p...

'Fast paced and packed with the Yorkshire duo’s trademark humour’ Daily Mirror ‘These stories will make a perfect Christmas present for mystery fiction aficionados’ GuardianA vicar nailed to a tree in Yorkshire.The theft of a priceless artefact during a fire.A detective forced to tell the truth for 24 hours.A body hidden in a basement.From the restless streets of Lo...

The definitive account of the rise and fall of the iconic Concorde plane from British Airways' former Chief Concorde Pilot'A remarkable story' DAILY EXPRESS'A stonking good read' FLYER_________What's it like to fly faster than a bullet?Could you really glimpse the edge of space?Why will we never see Concorde's like again?Mike Bannister was British Airways' Chief Concorde...

'A brilliant, funny and thought-provoking book' - Jonn Elledge'Compelling, provocative, and utterly brilliant' - Dr Estelle ParanqueTHIS PAPERBACK FEATURES ADDITIONAL MATERIAL ON HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH IIHow the monarchs of England and Scotland met their deaths has been a wonderful mixture of violence, infections, overindulgence and occasional regicide. In Mortal Monarchs, medical historian Dr ...

The Sunday Times BestsellerA new, fully updated narrative edition of David Attenborough’s seminal biography of our world, The Living Planet.Nowhere on our planet is devoid of life. Plants and animals thrive or survive within every extreme of climate and habitat that it offers. Single species, and often whole communities adapt to make the most of ice cap and tundra, forest and plain, desert, ocean and volcano. These adaptations can be truly...