THE AUTHORATITIVE TEXT 'You can live on a shilling a day in Paris if you know how. But it is a complicated business' As a struggling writer in his twenties, Orwell lived as a down-and-out among the poorest members of society. In this, his early memoir, Orwell recalls with vivid clarity his time working as a penniless dishwasher in Paris,...

Brought to you by Penguin. Winner of the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award 2021 Winner of the Tata Literature Live First Book Award for Non-Fiction 2020 One of the first things I was told when I arrived in Kabul was never to walk... When journalist Taran Khan arrives in Kabul, she uncovers a place that defies her...

'It was a tiny incident in itself, but it gave me a better glimpse than I had had before of the real nature of imperialism - the real motives for which despotic governments act' Shooting an Elephant was the first piece of writing by George Orwell to be published by Penguin, in 1940. It is a searing and honest account...

Based on the powerful true story of Auschwitz prisoner number 3444 Wilhelm Brasse, whose photographs helped to expose the atrocities of the Holocaust. 'Horror in sharp focus... important, because the world must know.' John Lewis-Stempel, Daily Express __________ When Germany invaded Wilhelm Brasse's native Poland in 1939, he was asked to swear allegiance to Hitler and join the Wehrmacht. He...

From the Sunday Times bestselling author, a dazzling, globe-spanning history of humankind's greatest invention: the city. 'Brilliant...enchanting' Evening Standard 'Exhilarating' New York Times The story of the city is the story of civilisation. From Uruk and Babylon to Baghdad and Venice, and on to London, New York, Shanghai and Lagos, Ben Wilson takes us through millennia on a thrilling global...

'The best of these Darwins is that they are cut out of rock - three taps is enough to convince one how immense is their solidarity.' So wrote Virginia Woolf affectionately of Gwen Raverat, the granddaughter of Charles Darwin. In this first full biography, Frances Spalding looks beyond the artist Gwen Raverat's childhood memoir; Period Piece, and creates a fascinating...

'The most compelling biography I have read in years . . . There has been a host of JFK biographies, but this one excels for its narrative drive, fine judgments and meticulous research . . . makes the story seem a cliffhanger even though we know what is coming' Max Hastings, Sunday Times 'In his utterly absorbingJFK, Fred Logevall reconstructs...

From the author of the widely acclaimed Heat, an exhilarating account of Bill Buford's adventures in the world of French cooking. 'A romping, chomping, savoury tour de force... Hilarious' Simon Schama What does it take to master French cooking? This is the question that drives Bill Buford to abandon his perfectly happy life in New York City and (with his...

A groundbreaking collection of abolitionist writing from throughout the history of American slavery From the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade to the ambiguity of the reconstruction era, resistance and protest writing were a central part of slavery in America, and - ultimately - played a crucial role in its abolition. Placing well-known abolitionist writing alongside less celebrated and little-known...

Returning to 1960s' India after decades beyond its borders, Ved Mehta explores his native country with two sets of eyes: those of the man educated in the West, and those of the child raised under the Raj. Travelling from the Himalayas in the east to Kerala in the west, Ved Mehta's observations and insights into India and some of its...

'A sympathetic and perceptive account of a fine writer at a critical moment in our cultural life' KEN LOACH On 27 May 1958, A Taste of Honey opened in a small fringe theatre in London. Written by a nineteen-year-old bus driver's daughter from Salford, the play exposed a deeply polarised society in Britain, sparked press and political outrage and transformed...

Kehinde Andrews is a crucial voice walking in a proud tradition of Black radical criticism and action Akala An uncompromising account of the roots of racism today Kimberlé Crenshaw This clear-eyed analysis insists upon the revolutionary acts of freedom we will need to break out of these systems of violence Ibram X. Kendi The New Age of Empire takes us...

The stunning novel about our fiercest loyalties, deepest desires and the power of forgiveness 'A highly-charged love story' DELIA OWENS, bestselling author of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING 'This story has everything. Just thinking about it makes me feel that lovely feeling where your heart seems to skip a beat' 5***** Reader Review ________ Rosalind Porter's biggest mistake was love ....

Fuelled by hate. Unable to form normal human relationships. Unwilling to debate political issues. In many ways Adolf Hitler seemed an unlikely leader, yet he inspired millions, leading Germany into the cataclysmic events of the Second World War. But how was Hitler able to exert such power over those around him? Award-winning historian and documentary maker Laurence Rees draws on...

As Meghan Markle once said: 'With fame comes opportunity, but it also includes responsibility - to advocate and share, to focus less on the glass slipper and more on pushing through glass ceilings. And, if I'm lucky enough, to inspire.' Inspired by the Royal Wedding on 19 May, this beautiful collection of light-hearted stories celebrates what it takes to be...