The Dictator holds both a fascination and a revulsion for humanity. He - and the dictator must be male - commands a place in society that few democratically elected leaders can attain. He gets his picture on the front pages of influential magazines. He can murder his own people and get away with the crime. He can enrich himself on the backs of his people, and not only get away with the theft, but find that they tu
Cooper Ryland is second mate on the cargo ship, Marjorie Harlington, in Avonmouth loading for Bombay. He is surprised to learn that their ship owner, Sir Felix Harlington, will be sailing with them, bringing with him a party that includes his secretary and a chef, neither of whom are what they seem.
Sir Felix also brings valuable goods on board, including a painting with a black and torm
Struggling writer, Daniel Baker, grandson of the great Daniel Defoe, wants to make his mark by unravelling the mystery behind the disastrous collapse of plans for a second descent on Britain by Bonnie Prince Charlie following his failed 1745 campaign. This later debacle ended Stuart hopes of controlling British destiny and hastened Charles' decline into drunkenness and sexual dissipation.
Minor Greek heroes, Epistrophus and Schedius, are left behind by their father when he goes with Jason and the Argonauts who are setting sail in search of the Golden Fleece. The two young heroes are left in a beautiful part of Greece called Pelion. They are under the guidance of Cheiron, who teaches them about many of the legendary Greek heroes. He tells stories of their bravery, their triumphs and their failures.
When Arthur and Sarah Cunningham and their two children set sail for the far shores of Australia, they have no idea what is ahead of them. The journey itself would be challenging enough, but the deprivations of the long sea passage from Plymouth start to pale into insignificance when they find themselves marooned on a quarantine island off the coast of the promised land.
After tragedy strikes, no
An enthralling tale set in wartime Australia, Cry Quietly is a story that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. A tale of romance, fulfilment, violence and dark secrets, we follow Rita, a member of the WRAAF who falls for Tom, the man she ultimately marries.
But married life isn't the happy time Rita was hoping for, and it soon becomes more about stru
Sylvian Mountjoy was one of those rare breeds of men who was quite happy in life and found very little to complain about. When he is pressed into service against his will and awakes bound in a ship with no idea where he is headed, he panics. What will happen to Mary, his wife? Will he ever see her again? As a clerk, he shouldn't be here, it was not allowed to happen!
Meanwhile, Mary learns th
This is a story about some things that happened to me about twelve thousand years ago."
With these words, the narrator begins her account of events set at the crucial point in human evolution, when hunter-gathering began to be abandoned as way of life just as the first signs of organized religion emerged. Who or what the narrator is, and how she can speak to us today of events in ou
It is 1914, and Victoria Standish returns home to find her brother, Max, keen to join the impending war in Europe as a Light Horseman. Australia is far away from the conflict, but Victoria is thrilled at the prospect of nursing beyond the safe confines of her local community.
In London, the Earl and Countess of Hadleigh are also preparing for war. Their son, Gerald, is commissioned in the Coldstr
Tom and Aaron were looking forward to meeting their friends at Missus Musty's well-known coffee house in Chepstow on the last market day before Christmas. It was while they were all in there, enjoying her famous pies, that they chanced upon Rigo, a bold Brazilian sailor seeking his fortune, who thought smuggling might gain him some ready cash.
Shocked, the friends warned him against such a ve
Based on the life of the author's great-grandfather, James Owen is the account of one man's life and the trials that he has to face. His parents are a loving couple, very proud of their firstborn, a clever and honourable boy. His academic ability is recognised by the local vicar and James teaches his school's younger children.
But the reality of his life is
