Other books that might interest you

• 

  A Journey of Little Profit -...

  John Buchan

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  The Scottish novelist John Buchan enjoyed a remarkable career as politician, historian and Governor General. He was born John Buchan on 26th August 1875 and later added 1st Baron Tweedsmuir PC GCMG GCVO CH to his name.  
  Buchan studied at Hutchesons’ Grammar School, Glasgow and at seventeen won a scholarship to the University of Glasgow to study classics. There he began to write poetry. In 1895 he transferred to Oxford to continue his study of Classics and in 1896 ‘Sir Quixote of the Moors’ was published followed by the non-fiction ‘Scholar-Gipsies’. His prolific literary output now hardly faltered. 
  He graduated in 1900 and became the private secretary to Alfred Milner, the High Commissioner for Southern Africa and other colonies. Buchan found the same inspiration in the African landscape as he had in the Scottish Borders, and would later set many works here. Returning to London he became a partner in a publishing house, and garnered an editorial role at The Spectator. He also completed his law studies. He was called to the bar in 1901 but never practiced.  
  On 15th July 1907 Buchan married Susan Charlotte Grosvenor, the cousin of the Duke of Westminster. In 1910 he wrote ‘Prester John’, the first of a series set in South Africa.  
  In 1911 Buchan entered politics as a Unionist candidate in the Scottish Borders advocating the support of free trade, women’s suffrage, national insurance, and reducing the power of the House of Lords.  
  The Great War saw Buchan writing for the War Propaganda Bureau and as Times correspondent in France. In 1915, he published ‘The Thirty-Nine Steps’, his most famous book and a follow-up Richard Hannay novel, ‘Greenmantle’, in 1916.  
  In 1916 Buchan enlisted in the Intelligence Corps which included writing speeches for Sir Douglas Haig. By 1917 he was Director of Information under Lord Beaverbrook. Buchan called it “the toughest job he ever took on”. He somehow found time to assist in a history of the war magazine. This was later published in 24 volumes: Nelson’s History of the War. 
  After the war his writing focused on historical studies. In 1927 Buchan became the Unionist Party Member of Parliament for the Combined Scottish Universities. In a speech to Parliament he said “I believe every Scotsman should be a Scottish nationalist. If it could be proved that a Scottish parliament were desirable… Scotsmen should support it.”  
  Over the next decade he continued to distinguish himself politically and in literature.  On the 1st June 1935 he became 1st Baron Tweedsmuir of Elsfield in the County of Oxford.  
  He was now also given the position of Governor General in Canada and resolved to travel all over Canada to gain a better insight of the country. Having crossed both length and breadth he saw the cultural shift between areas and their common ground and helped bring about a clear national Canadian identity. 
  On the 6th February 1940 he collapsed from a stroke and sustained a very serious head injury in falling. Two rounds of surgery to stabilise his condition were unsuccessful and Buchan died on the 11th February. After a state funeral in Ottawa his ashes were returned to his estate in Oxfordshire.

  Show book

• 

  Huia Short Stories 15

  Various Authors

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Here are the best short fiction stories, short non-fiction pieces and poetry from the Pikihuia Awards for Māori writers 2023 as judged by Emma Espiner, Carol Hirschfeld, Maiki Sherman, Mike Ross, Hēmi Kelly and Robert Sullivan. This competition, run by the Māori Literature Trust and Huia Publishers, is held every two years to promote Māori writers and their work. This year, the awards sought short non-fiction and poetry, along with short fiction, from writers in te reo Māori and English. The competition attracts entries each year from writers of all ages and those who are starting out to seasoned authors. This collection of finalists' work celebrates Māori writing, introduces new talent and gives an opportunity for Māori writers to shine.

  Show book

• 

  Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson:...

  Editors Charles River

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Space may be the final frontier, but no frontier has ever captured the American imagination like the “Wild West”, which still evokes images of dusty cowboys, outlaws, gunfights, gamblers, and barroom brawls over 100 years after the West was settled. A constant fixture in American pop culture, the 19th century American West continues to be vividly and colorful portrayed not just as a place but as a state of mind.  
  	Of all the colorful characters that inhabited the West during the 19th century, the most famous of them all is Wyatt Earp, who has long been regarded as the embodiment of the Wild West. Considered the "toughest and deadliest gunman of his day", Earp symbolized the swagger, the heroism, and even the lawlessness of the West, notorious for being a law enforcer, gambler, saloon keeper, and vigilante. The Western icon is best known for being a sheriff in Tombstone, but before that he had been arrested and jailed several times himself, in one case escaping from prison, and he was not above gambling and spending time in “houses of ill-fame”.  The seminal moment in Earp’s life also happened to be the West’s most famous gunfight, the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which famously pitted Earp, his brothers Morgan and Virgil, and Doc Holliday against Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury and Frank McLaury. 
  	Though he is no longer as well remembered as he once was, one of the most famous and notorious lawmen of the Wild West was Bat Masterson, who drifted around Dodge City and other parts of the West and was associated with legends like Wyatt Earp. Carrying a six-shooter that he called “the gun that tamed the West”, Masterson was involved in several duels and shootouts, much of which was embellished during the early 20th century when he became a newspaper columnist and was given a chance to frame anecdotes about the frontier days and talk about colorful characters like Doc Holliday. He was a lawman, but he had no problem straddling both sides of it.

  Show book

• 

  Life of the Party Girl - A...

  Megan Estrada

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Life of the Party Girl is  a raw and inspiring debut memoir of a top wedding planner reflecting on
   the moments that define us as human beings, both the traumatic and fantastic.
   
  The author and subject, Megan Estrada, isn’t your typical wedding planner. She is tattooed, assertive, stylish, and doesn’t take no for an answer. She is reflective and decisive, in bringing a fresh and unique perspective to the special events industry. Estrada is a trailblazer in the event industry and harnesses her past experiences to create momentous occasions.
   
  Before Megan Estrada became a nationally recognized wedding and event planner,  she spent forty-years navigating a life of unexpected circumstances, one that was dictated by a twisted series of trauma and celebration. From enduring a school shooting, an unsuccessful suicide attempt, and a difficult marriage, to landing a record deal, becoming a mother of two, and leading the special events industry through the Covid-19 pandemic, Life of the Party Girl follows Estrada’s journey to self-worth and self-discovery.

  Show book

• 

  Wonder Of Women - Psychological...

  Edith Nesbit, Lady Eleanor...

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Let’s be clear. We are all equal under the law.  However, even in these more modern times that is not an absolute and still remains a distant ambition for many.  
   
  In the days when Britain ruled the waves and bestrode the world as its policeman and plunderer in chief it also subjugated half of its own people to second class status.  Women were chattel and property.  There were some exceptions based on wealth and birthright but for the overwhelming majority your lot was to fall in with the rules and do as you were told.  Many did. 
   
  But whilst male society sought to place obstacles in the path to equality, it could not deny their literary talents, which many times they circumvented by using male pseudonyms.  However, the soaring sales of magazines and periodicals during the Victorian Age meant they had voracious appetites for literature, whatever the sex of its gender. 
   
  Dozens of authors appeared to fill the need.  Narratives had new ideas.  Characters were emboldened by societal changes and the female voice taking responsibility. 
   
  The women included here are talents that dazzle.  Put them up against anyone and they rise to the top.  Whether they remain with an avid readership today or faded to obscurity with the passing of the times their quality remains undimmed.   
   
  1 - Women of Wonder - Psychological Supernatural Thriller - An Introduction 
  2 - Man Size In Marble by Edith Nesbit 
  3 - Mrs Raeburn's Waxwork by Lady Eleanor Smith 
  4 - The Devil's Stone by Beatrice Heron-Maxwell 
  5 - Was It An Illusion. A Parson's Story by Amelia Edwards 
  6 - In the Séance Room by Lettice Galbraith 
  7 - The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth by Rhoda Broughton 
  8 - The Cold Embrace by Mary Elizabeth Braddon 
  9 - Let Loose by Mary Cholmondeley.wav 
  10 - Dionea - Part 1 by Vernon Lee 
  11 - Dionea - Part 2 by Vernon Lee

  Show book

• 

  This Is Me - THE INSTANT NO1...

  Kate Price

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  READ BY KATIE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! GET READY FOR TRUTHS AND BOMBSHELLS. 'Staggeringly honest... Katie is one of showbusiness's great survivors,' Bryony Gordon   'Katie is the best storyteller,' Jamie Laing'Katie is a survivor,' Elizabeth DayCelebrating twenty years since her bestselling debut autobiography, Being Jordan, and a stellar thirty-year career, This Is Me is Katie Price as you've never heard her before - raw and reflective. Katie explores the incredible highs and devastating lows of her life and turbulent career, as well as the journey she's beenon to get to where she is today.From her first forays into glamour modelling when she was just 17 years old, through a wild ride of Playboy mansions, Eurovision Song Contests, reality TV and everything in between, This Is Me is the true story of Katie's life behind the headlines. But it's not all glitz, glam and cosmetic surgery. For the first time, Katie will reflect on her journey through therapy, PTSD, trauma and the trials of living her life in the media spotlight. It's a true tale of survival during a career that has seen her become a household name - sometimes for all the wrong reasons. But though this is Katie in her most reflective book to date, it's also punctuated with the very real drama she's been dealing with in her life at the moment.Full of life lessons she's learned along the way as well as the pain and heartache of the ones she's still learning, this is the real, explosive and unapologetically honest Katie Price.

  Show book