- Table View
- List View
All the Horrors of War: A Jewish Girl, a British Doctor, and the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen
by Bernice LernerOn April 15, 1945, Brigadier H. L. Glyn Hughes entered Bergen-Belsen for the first time. Waiting for him were 10,000 unburied, putrefying corpses and 60,000 living prisoners, starving and sick. One month earlier, 15-year-old Rachel Genuth arrived at Bergen-Belsen; deported with her family from Sighet, Transylvania, in May of 1944, Rachel had by then already endured Auschwitz, the Christianstadt labor camp, and a forced march through the Sudetenland. In All the Horrors of War, Bernice Lerner follows both Hughes and Genuth as they move across Europe toward Bergen-Belsen in the final, brutal year of World War II. The book begins at the end: with Hughes's searing testimony at the September 1945 trial of Josef Kramer, commandant of Bergen-Belsen, along with forty-four SS (Schutzstaffel) members and guards. "I have been a doctor for thirty years and seen all the horrors of war," Hughes said, "but I have never seen anything to touch it." The narrative then jumps back to the spring of 1944, following both Hughes and Rachel as they navigate their respective forms of wartime hell until confronting the worst: Christianstadt's prisoners, including Rachel, are deposited in Bergen-Belsen, and the British Second Army, having finally breached the fortress of Germany, assumes control of the ghastly camp after a negotiated surrender. Though they never met, it was Hughes's commitment to helping as many prisoners as possible that saved Rachel's life. Drawing on a wealth of sources, including Hughes's papers, war diaries, oral histories, and interviews, this gripping volume combines scholarly research with narrative storytelling in describing the suffering of Nazi victims, the overwhelming presence of death at Bergen-Belsen, and characters who exemplify the human capacity for fortitude. Lerner, Rachel's daughter, has special insight into the torment her mother suffered. The first book to pair the story of a Holocaust victim with that of a liberator, All the Horrors of War compels readers to consider the full, complex humanity of both.
All the Young Men: How One Woman Risked It All To Care For The Dying
by Ruth Coker Burks'If I have one message with this book it's that we all have to care for one another. Today, not just in 1986. Life is about caring for each other, and I learned more about life from the dying than I ever learned from the living. It's in an elephant ride, it's in those wildflowers dancing on their way to the shared grave of two men in love, and it's in caring for that young man who just needed information without judgement.' In 1986, 26-year-old Ruth Coker Burks visits a friend in hospital when she notices that the door to one of the patient's rooms is painted red. The nurses are reluctant to enter, drawing straws to decide who will tend to the sick person inside. Out of impulse, Ruth herself enters the quarantined space and begins to care for the young man who cries for his mother in the last moments of his life. And in doing so, Ruth's own life changes forever. As word spreads in the community that she is the only person willing to help the young men afflicted by the growing AIDS crisis, Ruth goes from being an ordinary young mother to an accidental activist. Forging deep friendships with the men she helps, Ruth works to find them housing and jobs, and then funeral homes willing to take their bodies - often in the middle of the night. She prepares and delivers meals to 'her guys,' supplementing her own income with discarded food found in the dumpsters behind supermarkets. She defies local pastors and the medical community to store rare medications for her most urgent patients, and teaches sex education to drag queens after hours at secret bars. Emboldened by the weight of their collective pain, she fervently advocates for their safety and visibility, ultimately advising Governor Bill Clinton on the national HIV-AIDS crisis, and in doing so becomes a beacon of hope to an otherwise spurned group of ailing gay men on the fringes of society. Ruth kept her story a secret for years, fearful of repercussions within her deeply conservative community. But at a time when it's more important than ever to stand up for those who can't, Ruth has found the courage to have her voice - and the voices of those who were stigmatised, rejected and abandoned - heard.
All Things Bright and Beautiful: The Classic Memoirs of a Yorkshire Country Vet (All Creatures Great And Small Ser. #2)
by James Herriot** Now a major TV series on Channel 5 **Now settled into the sleepy Yorkshire village of Darrowby, and married to Helen the farmer’s daughter, James Herriot thinks he’s finally got himself sorted. But life as a vet in the 1930s was never going to be easy. Quite aside from his unpredictable colleagues, brothers Siegfried and Tristan Farnon, he must contend with new-fangled medical techniques, delivering calves after far too much home-made wine, and a grudge-holding dog called Magnus who never forgets. And then, with Britain on the verge of war, James faces a decision that could separate him from Darrowby – and Helen – for ever . . . Since they were first published, James Herriot’s memoirs have sold millions of copies and entranced generations of animal lovers. Charming, funny and touching, All Things Bright and Beautiful is a heart-warming story of determination, love and companionship from one of Britain’s best-loved authors.'I grew up reading James Herriot's books and I'm delighted that thirty years on they are still every bit as charming, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny as they were then' – Kate Humble'Herriot's enchanting tales of life in the Dales are deservedly classics. Full of extraordinary characters, animal and human, the books never fail to delight' – Amanda Owen, bestselling author of The Yorkshire Shepherdess
Allenby: Making the Modern Middle East
by C. Brad FaughtEdmund Allenby, Viscount Allenby of Megiddo and Felixstowe, as he became later, was the principal British military figure in the Middle East from 1917 to 1919. He fulfilled a similar proconsular role in Egypt from the latter year until 1925. In these two roles Allenby's eight years in the Middle East were of great impact, and in probing his life an especially revealing window can be found through which to observe closely and understand more fully the history that has resulted in the terminal roil afflicting the Middle East and international affairs today. In this biography Brad Faught explores the events and actions of Allenby's life, examining his thinking on both the British Empire and the post-World War I international order. Faught brings clarity to Allenby's decisive impact on British imperial policy in the making of the modern Middle East, and thereby on the long arc of the region's continuing and controversial place in world affairs.
Alma: The Wind Rises
by Timothée de FombelleFROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING WINNER OF THE PRIX SORCIÈRES From Europe to Africa, to the Caribbean, Alma tells a gripping story of hope, perseverance, and love. “Vivid and exact…this is a book about heroism.”—The New York Times 1786. Alma lives with her family in an African valley, isolated from the rest of the world. Her days are spent exploring their blissful homeland; until her little brother finds the only way out. Meanwhile, in Lisbon, the petty thief Joseph Mars manages to get himself on board the Douce Amélie, a slave ship, to look for a fabulous treasure. The ship's captain, Lazare Gardel, is also hunting for treasure, that of the notorious pirate Luc de Lerne. Alma sets out on his trail, when she comes face to face with groups of Ashanti hunters, who capture and enslave everyone they meet. The journey to bring her brother home quickly becomes an intricate mission of self-preservation. While everyone is searching for something, Alma and Joseph's lives become intertwined on land and sea. In a whirlwind of adventures between Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, their quests and their destinies lead them irresistibly towards each other.
Amazing Muslims Who Changed the World
by Burhana IslamDo you think you know who first thought of the theory of evolution? Have you ever wondered who created the oldest university in the world? Is Joan of Arc is the only rebel girl who led an army that you've heard of?Then you need this stunningly illustrated treasure trove of iconic and hidden amazing Muslim heroes.You'll find people you might know, like Malala Yousafzai, Mo Farah and Muhammad Ali, as well as some you might not, such as:Hasan Ibn Al-Haytham: the first scientist to prove theories about how light travels, hundreds of years before Isaac Newton.Sultan Razia: a fearsome female ruler.G. Willow Wilson: the comic book artist who created the first ever Muslim Marvel character.Ibtihaj Muhammad: the Olympic and World Champion fencer and the first American to compete in the games wearing a hijab.Noor Inayat Khan: the Indian Princess who became a British spy during WWII.There are so many more amazing Muslim men and women who have changed our world, from pirate queens to athletes, to warriors and mathematicians. Who will your next hero be?
American Sherlock: Murder, forensics, and the birth of crime scene investigation
by Kate Winkler Dawson‘Heinrich changed criminal investigations forever, and anyone fascinated by the myriad detective series and TV shows about forensics will want to read [this].’ The Washington Post ‘An entertaining, absorbing combination of biography and true crime.’ Kirkus Berkeley, California, 1933. In a lab filled with curiosities – beakers, microscopes, Bunsen burners and hundreds of books – sat an investigator who would go on to crack at least 2,000 cases in his 40-year career. Known as the ‘American Sherlock Holmes’, Edward Oscar Heinrich was one of the greatest – and first – forensic scientists, with an uncanny knack for finding clues, establishing evidence and deducing answers with a skill that seemed almost supernatural. Based on years of research and thousands of never-before-published primary source materials, American Sherlock is a true-crime account capturing the life of the man who spearheaded the invention of a myriad of new forensic tools, including blood-spatter analysis, ballistics, lie-detector tests and the use of fingerprints as courtroom evidence.
Amper Frans: ʼn Lewe van fanfare en faux pas
by Louis Jansen van VuurenToe hy jare gelede vir die eerste keer in Parys aankom, sou die kunstenaar Louis Jansen Van Vuuren nooit kon dink dat hy eendag ʼn château in die Franse platteland sou besit nie.In Amper Frans vertel hy hoe hy die plaaslike tradisies en kultuur die afgelope 21 jaar ontdek her – daar is stories oor statige hertoginne en neusoptrekkerige kelners, die berugte Franse burokrasie en dan ook sy talle faux pas in die Fanse taal.Om die vervalle Château de la Creuzette saam met sy lewensmaat, Hardy Olivier, in ʼn boetiekhotel te omskep het groot Geduld en uithouvermoë geverg. Talle lesse is op die harder manier geleer, soos dat vier verwarmers nie genoeg s om ʼn hele château to verhit nie …Louis verklap ook iets van hul gaste se kaskenades en van hul eie reise soos hulle die land platry agter vlooimarkte en avontuur aan. Die boek is ʼn moet vir alle Frankofiele.
Anna of Denmark: The material and visual culture of the Stuart courts, 1589–1619 (Studies in Design and Material Culture)
by Jemma FieldApproaching the Stuart courts through the lens of the queen consort, Anna of Denmark, this study is underpinned by three key themes: translating cultures, female agency and the role of kinship networks and genealogical identity for early modern royal women. Illustrated with a fascinating array of objects and artworks, the book follows a trajectory that begins with Anna’s exterior spaces before moving to the interior furnishings of her palaces, the material adornment of the royal body, an examination of Anna’s visual persona and a discussion of Anna’s performance of extraordinary rituals that follow her life cycle. Underpinned by a wealth of new archival research, the book provides a richer understanding of the breadth of Anna’s interests and the meanings generated by her actions, associations and possessions.
Anna of Denmark: The material and visual culture of the Stuart courts, 1589–1619 (Studies in Design and Material Culture)
by Jemma FieldApproaching the Stuart courts through the lens of the queen consort, Anna of Denmark, this study is underpinned by three key themes: translating cultures, female agency and the role of kinship networks and genealogical identity for early modern royal women. Illustrated with a fascinating array of objects and artworks, the book follows a trajectory that begins with Anna’s exterior spaces before moving to the interior furnishings of her palaces, the material adornment of the royal body, an examination of Anna’s visual persona and a discussion of Anna’s performance of extraordinary rituals that follow her life cycle. Underpinned by a wealth of new archival research, the book provides a richer understanding of the breadth of Anna’s interests and the meanings generated by her actions, associations and possessions.
Anti-Social: The secret diary of an anti-social behaviour officer
by Nick PettigrewAS SEEN ON BBC BREAKFAST AND ITV'S LORRAINE__________________________________'Superb. This hysterically funny and moving memoir of an anti-social behaviour officer is a real eye-opener that hits all the right notes' FRANKIE BOYLE'Laugh-out-loud funny. The delivery is punchy and the humour dark - think Irvine Welsh minus the Scottish vernacular' EXPRESS__________________________________Has your life become unbearable because the person living above you has a fondness for crack cocaine, the company of strangers and dance music? Or maybe you're a social worker, mental health nurse, police officer, firefighter, dog warden or vicar and you've been landed with someone who's a pain in the arse. Who are you going to call? That would be me: an anti-social behaviour officer.Anti-Social is the diary of a council worker whose job is to keep his community happy, or at least away from each other's throats. That's hard enough at the best of times but when government cuts mean that hospitals, social services and police are all at breaking point, the possibility of complete chaos is never far away. This is an urgent, timely but, most of all, hysterically funny true story of a life spent working with the people society wants to forget and the problems that nobody else can resolve. This book will make you laugh, cry and boil with rage within a single sentence.__________________________________Perfect for fans of The Secret Barrister and Adam Kay's This is Going to Hurt.__________________________________'I absolutely loved it. It reads like a novel, has that page-turning quality everyone looks for in a good book but it delivers the punch that only true life can - funny obviously but with humanity and warmth for people at the edges of society most in need of our understanding and compassion' KIT DE WAAL, author of My Name Is Leon'Brilliant. This deserves to be a huge success - funny, sad and heartbreaking' LORRAINE KELLY'Get this book. ... I'm telling you now, you will absolutely love this guy, what he has to say and the book that he has written. In equal parts devastating and dark and incredibly funny.' NIHAL ARTHANAYAKE'Darkly comic ... think Adam Kay's This is Going to Hurt but with more dead bodies (and not just human ones) and an abundance of cat shit. It's a gloriously cynical read but it's also sympathetic and deeply empathetic.' KATHY BURKE'Riveting and brilliantly written... a potent cocktail of heartbreak and horror; wickedly funny, wearily endearing and absolutely enraging' CAROLINE SANDERSON, Bookseller'Extraordinary, fascinating, very moving and very funny' CHRISTINE LAMPARD'A funny, thoughtful look into one of the toughest jobs I can imagine' SHAPPI KORSANDI
Antonio Gramsci: A Biography (Communist Lives)
by Andrew PearmainA historical biography of the Italian philosopher/politician Antonio Gramsci (1891-1973), considered one of the most important Marxist philosophers of the twentieth-century. As part of the Communist Lives series, Andrew Pearmain explores the life of Gramsci from his childhood, to his role in the newly formed Communist Party of Italy, and to his imprisonment and death in Turi di Bari, using recent archival research including material released by the Gramsci and Schucht family.
Aquanaut: A Life Beneath The Surface – The Inside Story of the Thai Cave Rescue
by Rick StantonTHE ENTHRALLING INSIDE STORY OF THE THAI CAVE RESCUE FROM THE MAN AT THE HEART OF THE MISSION, AS SEEN IN THE SUNDAY TIMES'The British divers are all heroes' Clive Cussler'A case study in courage' Ron Howard, Oscar-winning director of Apollo 13________'They were utterly alone inside the mountain, isolated from the rest of the world. They might as well have been on another planet . . .'In July 2018, twelve boys and their football coach disappeared into Tham Luang Cave in Thailand.Trapped miles beneath the surface, not even the Thai Navy SEALs had the skills to bring them to safety. With the floodwater rising rapidly, time was running out . . .Any hope of survival rested on Rick Stanton, a retired Midlands firefighter with a living room full of homemade cave-diving equipment. As unlikely as it seemed, to those in the know, Rick and his partner, John Volanthen, were regarded as the A-team for exactly this kind of mission.The Thai Cave Rescue was the culmination of a lifelong obsession, requiring every ounce of skill and ingenuity accumulated by Rick over a four decade pursuit of the unknown.While the world held its breath, Rick, John and their assembled team raced against time in the face of near impossible odds. There was simply no precedent for what they were attempting to do . . .In Aquanaut Rick reveals the real story of the cave rescue for the first time. And of a life lived without compromise in which any mistake could have been his last. It's an edge-of-your-seat story of courage and conviction that will take you deep into the most remote and unforgiving places on the planet, told with humour, unflinching honesty, and a relentless drive for adventure.________'Diver Rick Stanton relives the rescue of the century' SUNDAY TIMESTHE RESCUE WATCHED BY THE WORLD'The Thai cave rescue was phenomenally dangerous, and the work of true heroes' iNews'[The rescue] was fantastic, it really was . . .' HRH Prince William'If it was me stuck anywhere, the one person I would want to come and rescue me is Rick Stanton' Alex Daw, Watch Commander, West Midlands Fire Service'One of the great stories of our time' Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Oscar-winning co-director of Free Solo'Rick Stanton is not the most domesticated of men' Sunday Telegraph
Aren't You Forgetting Someone?: Essays from My Mid-Life Revenge
by Kari LizerFrom award-winning TV comedy writer Kari Lizer (The New Adventures of Old Christine) comes a collection of hilarious essays about the challenges of being a woman of a certain age and all that comes with it: empty nest, post #MeToo dating, aging parents, menopausal rage, unrealistic expectations, and eternal optimism. What does it feel like to have your kids leave the house at the same time your parents might need to move in? With self-deprecating humor, sharp wit, and Ephron-esque aplomb, Kari Lizer gives an honest account of finding herself in the middle of growing up, growing old, and still figuring it all out. She finds the wry, bittersweet humor in (almost) all situations--whether it's becoming radioactive during a thyroid cancer treatment, getting fired from her volunteer work, or struggling to find her identity outside of motherhood. Aren't You Forgetting Someone? speaks to those of us who lament the invisibility of the middle-aged woman, but also revel in the unexpected delights of newfound freedom to do whatever the hell we want while no one is looking.
Art is a Tyrant: The Unconventional Life of Rosa Bonheur
by Catherine Hewitt'[A] diligently researched, beautifully produced and insistently sympathetic biography.' Kathryn Hughes, Guardian A new biography of the wildly unconventional 19th-century animal painter and gender equality pioneer Rosa Bonheur, from the author of the acclaimed Mistress of Paris and Renoir's Dancer. Rosa Bonheur was the very antithesis of the feminine ideal of 19th-century society. She was educated, she shunned traditional ‘womanly’ pursuits, she rejected marriage – and she wore trousers. But the society whose rules she spurned accepted her as one of their own, because of her genius for painting animals. She shared an intimate relationship with the eccentric, self-styled inventor Nathalie Micas, who nurtured the artist like a wife. Together Rosa, Nathalie and Nathalie’s mother bought a chateau and with Rosa’s menagerie of animals the trio became one of the most extraordinary households of the day. Catherine Hewitt’s compelling new biography is an inspiring evocation of a life lived against the rules.
The Art of Fairness: The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean
by David Bodanis'David Bodanis is an enthralling storyteller. Prepare to be taken on a surprising, wide-ranging and ultimately inspiring journey to explore what makes us human' Tim HarfordCan you succeed without being a terrible person? We often think not: recognising that, as the old saying has it, 'nice guys finish last'. But does that mean you have to go to the other extreme, and be a bully or Machiavellian to get anything done?In THE ART OF FAIRNESS, David Bodanis uses thrilling historical case studies to show there's a better path, leading neatly in between. He reveals how it was fairness, applied with skill, that led the Empire State Building to be constructed in barely a year - and how the same techniques brought a quiet English debutante to become an acclaimed jungle guerrilla fighter. In ten vivid profiles - featuring pilots, presidents, and even the producer of Game of Thrones - we see that the path to greatness doesn't require crushing displays of power or tyrannical ego. Simple fair decency can prevail.With surprising insights from across history - including the downfall of the very man who popularised the phrase 'nice guys finish last' - THE ART OF FAIRNESS charts a refreshing and sustainable new approach to cultivating integrity and influence.
The Art of Resilience: Strategies For An Unbreakable Mind And Body
by Ross Edgley‘Incredible individual, incredible book, incredible story.’ CHRIS HEMSWORTH ‘A hero who is as humble as he is resilient… testament to a “never give up” spirit!’ BEAR GRYLLS ‘From reading this book, the message that comes shining through is this: you can achieve anything.’ ANT MIDDLETON
The Art of Resistance: My Four Years In The French Underground: A Memoir
by Justus RosenbergA gripping memoir written by a 96-year-old Jewish Holocaust survivor about his escape from Nazi-occupied Poland in the 1930's and his adventures with the French Resistance during World War II
Arthur Jeffress: A Life in Art
by Gill HedleyArthur Jeffress was an art dealer and collector from a Virginian family who bequeathed his “subversive little collection” (Derek Hill) to Tate and Southampton City Art Gallery on his suicide in 1961. That suicide, a result of his expulsion from Venice, has been the subject of speculation in many memoirs.Gill Hedley's biography of Jeffress has benefited from access to many hundreds of unpublished letters written between Jeffress and Robert Melville, who ran Jeffress' own gallery from 1955-1961. The letters were written largely while Jeffress was in Venice and reveal a vivid picture of the London gallery world as well as frank details of artists, collectors and the definitive story of his suicide.Previously unpublished research reveals new information about the lives of Jeffress' lover John Deakin, his business partner Erica Brausen, the French photographer André Ostier and Henry Clifford, and the way in which all of them influenced Jeffress' first steps as a collector from the 1930s onwards.
The Artist in Time: A Generation of Great British Creatives
by Chris Fite-WassilakThe Artist in Time brings together twenty creatives from across the UK, with photographs and interviews that disclose their daily working habits and motivations. All born before 1950, this is a collective portrait of a generation who have shaped our artistic landscape. They provide a range of different answers to the question 'what makes an artist?', and a set of insights into what makes up a creative life. Giving the reader access to the studio and working spaces of a diverse group of painters, poets, choreographers, filmmakers, illustrators, musicians, photographers, sculptors, writers and creators, The Artist in Time is a handbook for creativity and inspiration, made up of artists from all backgrounds who have all in their own way shaped, and continue to shape, the creative landscape of the United Kingdom.
The Artist in Time: A Generation of Great British Creatives
by Chris Fite-WassilakThe Artist in Time brings together twenty creatives from across the UK, with photographs and interviews that disclose their daily working habits and motivations. All born before 1950, this is a collective portrait of a generation who have shaped our artistic landscape. They provide a range of different answers to the question 'what makes an artist?', and a set of insights into what makes up a creative life. Giving the reader access to the studio and working spaces of a diverse group of painters, poets, choreographers, filmmakers, illustrators, musicians, photographers, sculptors, writers and creators, The Artist in Time is a handbook for creativity and inspiration, made up of artists from all backgrounds who have all in their own way shaped, and continue to shape, the creative landscape of the United Kingdom.
As Good As It Gets: Life Lessons from a Reluctant Adult
by Romesh RanganathanConfronted by the realities of adulthood, Romesh Ranganathan must face an uncomfortable truth: this is not quite how he imagined it.Watching his friends descend into middle age, his waistline thicken and his finances dwindle to fund his family’s middle class aspirations, Romesh reflects on the demands of daily life and the challenges of adulting in the modern world.As he reluctantly concludes that he is indeed a grown man, Rom wrestles with the greater questions that threaten his being: Could I save my family in a crisis? Do I possess the skills to assemble flatpack furniture? Am I too old for streetwear? Is it alright to parent my kids through the medium of Fortnite? Is celibacy the secret to a passionate marriage?From one of the countries most beloved comedians and author of the Sunday Times bestseller STRAIGHT OUTTA CRAWLEY comes the hilarious and painfully accurate dissection of what it really means to grow up.
As if by Chance: Journeys, Theatres, Lives
by David LanA family day at the beach. There's a song, an argument, a dash across the white sand and into the high rolling waves. We're in Cape Town and David Lan is ten years old. Cut to 1969 and, visiting London fresh out of high school, he interviews theatre luminaries Sybil Thorndike, Tom Stoppard, Trevor Nunn, Paul Schofield before heading home to join the South African army. Now it's 1999. We're at the Young Vic where David is interviewed to be artistic director, a job he'd do for eighteen years, ensuring its flowering into a great world theatre. There's a redesign to be imagined, money to be raised, shows to be staged. And when the doors reopen in 2006 we meet the extraordinary artists he draws in: Ivo Van Hove, Jude Law, Richard Jones, Gillian Anderson, Patrice Chereau, Katie Mitchell, Stephen Daldry, the Isango Ensemble, Yerma, The Jungle, The Inheritance. We travel to Peter Brook's Paris, to Iceland in pursuit of a circus Romeo and Juliet, to Lithuania in search of his great grandparents, to a refugee camp in Congo with Joe Wright and Chiwetel Ejiofor, to Broadway for the Tony Awards. There's spirit mediums in the Zambezi Valley, Chekhov's Yalta, Luc Bondy's Vienna, making a BBC film in Angola, rehearsing a new play in Israel/Palestine. Along the way, memories constantly rise to the surface: the Royal Court in the 70s and 90s, school plays, his parents' complicated marriage. Woven through it all is his decades long relationship with playwright Nicholas Wright.At times hilarious and always deeply felt, David Lan's deft travels evoke a wildly varied life in theatre as well as a unique theatre of life.
The Ascent: A house can have many secrets
by Stefan HertmansThe dazzling new novel by Stefan Hertmans, author of the modern classic War and Turpentine.'Magnificent' Philippe Sands'Powerful and humane' Observer'An utterly masterly book' Jonathan CoeIn 1979, Stefan Hertmans fell in love with a dilapidated old house in Ghent, Belgium, which he restored to become his peaceful sanctuary. Now, all these years later, he learns that a bust of Hitler once sat on the mantelpiece, and a war criminal and his family relaxed in its rooms.This shocking discovery sends Hertmans off to the archives, to uncover the secrets of the house and to reimagine this man's life and expose the atrocities he's responsible for. We see Willem Verhulst as a weak, narcissistic man who climbed high in the ranks of the SS; a fascinating case study for the cruel and perverse mentality of the Nazis.The Ascent portrays the deep tragedy of Flemish collaboration during the Second World War, as Hertmans masterfully brings history and the house to life, imagining individual lives to tell the greater European story.Translated from the Dutch by David McKay
Asleep and Awake
by John FullerAn elegantly jubilant and personal new collection celebrating love, life and creativity from award-winning poet and Booker Prize-shortlisted novelist, John FullerIn this personal and characteristically brilliant new collection from John Fuller, an abundance of memories abound. From “those once endless years” of a childhood in wartime – tasting of Granny’s chicken soup, twizzers and cherry-go-rips – to the pattern of family and friendships, important milestones are brought to vivid life. In ‘Before We Met – and After’ a sequence of recollections cherish a wife on her eightieth birthday; ‘In Whose Head’ a piece by Schumann is revisited through advancing years; and in ‘Keeper of the Fire’ and ‘In Memory of John Bayley’ late poems of remembrance memorialise lost friends. These are poems of being and time, full of lyric feeling and Fuller’s distinctive wit and lightness of touch. Alive with the clang and sway of the “chosen colours of daily family life”, together they form a resonant gathering of poems that celebrate, with thoughtfulness and joy, “the feel and length of our lives”.