D'autres livres qui pourraient vous intéresser

• 

  Richard Bruce - Burglar - Former...

  Edgar Wallace

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace was born on the 1st April 1875 in Greenwich, London.  Leaving school at 12 because of truancy, by the age of fifteen he had experience; selling newspapers, as a worker in a rubber factory, as a shoe shop assistant, as a milk delivery boy and as a ship’s cook.  
   
  By 1894 he was engaged but broke it off to join the Infantry being posted to South Africa. He also changed his name to Edgar Wallace which he took from Lew Wallace, the author of Ben-Hur.  
   
  In Cape Town in 1898 he met Rudyard Kipling and was inspired to begin writing. His first collection of ballads, The Mission that Failed! was enough of a success that in 1899 he paid his way out of the armed forces in order to turn to writing full time.  
   
  By 1904 he had completed his first thriller, The Four Just Men. Since nobody would publish it he resorted to setting up his own publishing company which he called Tallis Press. 
    
  In 1911 his Congolese stories were published in a collection called Sanders of the River, which became a bestseller. He also started his own racing papers, Bibury’s and R. E. Walton’s Weekly, eventually buying his own racehorses and losing thousands gambling.  A life of exceptionally high income was also mirrored with exceptionally large spending and debts.  
   
  Wallace now began to take his career as a fiction writer more seriously, signing with Hodder and Stoughton in 1921. He was marketed as the ‘King of Thrillers’ and they gave him the trademark image of a trilby, a cigarette holder and a yellow Rolls Royce. He was truly prolific, capable not only of producing a 70,000 word novel in three days but of doing three novels in a row in such a manner. It was estimated that by 1928 one in four books being read was written by Wallace, for alongside his famous thrillers he wrote variously in other genres, including science fiction, non-fiction accounts of WWI which amounted to ten volumes and screen plays. Eventually he would reach the remarkable total of 170 novels, 18 stage plays and 957 short stories. 
   
  Wallace became chairman of the Press Club which to this day holds an annual Edgar Wallace Award, rewarding ‘excellence in writing’.  
   
  Diagnosed with diabetes his health deteriorated and he soon entered a coma and died of his condition and double pneumonia on the 7th of February 1932 in North Maple Drive, Beverly Hills. He was buried near his home in England at Chalklands, Bourne End, in Buckinghamshire.

  Voir livre

• 

  A Backstage Betrayal - The new...

  Michael Ball

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  THE THEATRE MAY SEEM GLAMOROUS, BUT SECRETS WAIT BEHIND THE CURTAIN1926. Running a theatre may appear to be all about the showbiz, but times are hard at The Empire. Following a turbulent period Jack Treadwell, erstwhile proprietor, his mother Lillian, and his playwright wife Grace, know they need to get things back on track - and how better than with the annual pantomime, a new venture, and an all-singing all-dancing talent contest, showcasing the best performers around.But could Lillian's new admirer, Grand Duke Nikolai Kuznetsov, be bringing disaster in his wake? Will The Empire be caught up in the scandal surrounding West End star, Stella Stanmore? And what are their enemies in Highbridge planning?While Jack and Grace fight to ensure the show does go on, a royal visitor raises the stakes and a young widow, Sally Blow, dares to dream that the talent contest might be her big break.As the talent contest draws closer, tragedy strikes. Amid the glitz and glamour there are strange goings on and a plot afoot. Is everything Jack and Grace have worked so hard for about to come crashing down? And could this be curtains for The Empire?Musical theatre legend Michael Ball brings his trademark warmth, wit and glamour to this sparkling new Empire Theatre novel.'A wonderful book. A love letter to the theatre' Rev. Richard Coles'A fantastic book. Brilliant' Don Black OBE'A wonderful read' Jeffrey Archer'A golden debut - charming, funny and romantic' Cameron Mackintosh'Takes you to the magical world of theatre' Rosie Goodwin

  Voir livre

• 

  Absolution: Book summary & analysis

  Margot Langley

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  This content is an independent and unofficial summary created for informational and educational purposes only. It is not affiliated with, authorized, approved, licensed, or endorsed by the original author or publisher. All rights to the original work belong to its respective copyright holders. This summary is not intended to substitute the original book, but to offer a concise overview and interpretation of its main ideas. 
  Immerse yourself in Absolution, a powerful journey of compassion, complexity, and transformation set against the turbulent dawn of 1960s Saigon. Follow Tricia, a young expatriate driven by restless idealism, as she confronts the gap between good intentions and real impact. From bustling markets to crowded orphanages, she partners with a fearless ally to launch daring humanitarian initiatives—only to face missteps that test her resolve and redefine her purpose. Decades later, a reflective correspondence bridges generations, revealing hard-earned wisdom about cultural humility, adaptive leadership, and the true meaning of healing.

  Voir livre

• 

  The Conquering of Tate the Pious

  Sierra Simone

  • 0
  • 1
  • 0

  England is burning with Norman fires, and Tate—the youngest ever abbess of Far Hope Abbey—is determined to guard the abbey's ancient secrets with her very life.   
  Her life may be what it takes, however, for a Norman warlord known only as The Wolf is pillaging his way right to the abbey's doors. But when The Wolf arrives, Tate finds not the brutal man she was expecting, but instead a cruel and beautiful woman who leads her men with a ferocity to rival that of her Viking ancestors.   
  And after she sets eyes on Tate, it becomes clear that gold and silver aren't the only things The Wolf wants to carry off into the night…

  Voir livre

• 

  Noble Deeds

  Anonyme

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Navy Captain Pete Adler has arrived at the pinnacle of a US Navy career. He is the commanding officer of an aircraft carrier. The first time he takes the ship to sea, a huge fire breaks out and threatens the survival of the ship and its crew of thousands. Many in Pete’s crew perform heroic and noble deeds, and the carrier is saved. But there is no rest for Pete and the crew. They must repair the ship and make their scheduled deployment date. Again the crew responds heroically. In the midst of the repair effort, Pete’s father dies. When he is at home for the funeral, he learns the nobility of some deeds is but skin-deep.

  Voir livre

• 

  Royalists and Roundheads Collide...

  Christopher Allen

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

  Set against the tumultuous backdrop of the English Civil War (1642-1651), this epic historical fiction follows two noble families torn apart by political conviction and united by unexpected love. The Cavendish family, led by William, Earl of Newcastle, represents the Royalist cause—aristocrats who believe in the divine right of kings and traditional order. Opposing them are the Hampdens, headed by the principled John Hampden, Parliamentary champions who fight for constitutional government and the rights of Englishmen. 
  The story begins in 1641 as tensions between King Charles I and Parliament reach breaking point. In a London tavern, Charles Cavendish, younger brother to the Earl of Newcastle, encounters William Hampden in a heated political debate. Their philosophical sparring is interrupted when William's sister Ruth needs assistance with her lame horse. Charles gallantly escorts her home, where he meets John Hampden himself. Despite their political differences, mutual respect develops, and Charles finds himself captivated by Ruth's intelligence and beauty. 
  As civil war erupts in 1642, the families choose their sides. The Cavendishes rally to King Charles I's standard at Nottingham, while John Hampden takes command of a Parliamentary regiment. Charles and Ruth's forbidden romance blossoms through secret correspondence, their love transcending the growing chasm between their worlds. Their relationship symbolizes the personal cost of political division—two souls united by affection yet separated by loyalty to opposing causes. 
  The war's brutal reality unfolds through major battles. At Edgehill, the first great engagement, both sides suffer heavy casualties without decisive victory. Charles fights bravely for the King while wondering if William Hampden stands among the enemy ranks. The northern campaigns see William Cavendish commanding Royalist forces in Yorkshire, while his daughter Jane defends Welbeck Abbey against Parliamentary siege.

  Voir livre