Showing titles in 20th Century

Wiltshire, December 1915. Widow Olivia Hanbury is persuaded by her cousin Donald to move in with his meek little wife while he is serving in France. When he's wounded and returns home to convalesce, tensions immediately rise between him and lively Olivia. But things begin to look up when Olivia becomes involved in starting the new Women's Institutes and is introduced to Alex, an antiques dealer. Meanwhile, Phoebe Latimer is holding the fort at Greyladies, an ancient manor house, while her husband is away at war. But someone is attempting to rid Greyladies of the German internees based there.

Brought to you by Penguin. From the bestselling, award-winning author of Middle England comes a profoundly moving, brutally funny and brilliantly true portrait of Britain told through four generations of one family 'A wickedly funny, clever, but also tender and lyrical novel about Britain and...

As Spring blossoms, it seems love is in the air. 21 year-old, John Talbot dreams of a world not at war, where he can be a father to his young son Jonny and have a wife by his side. But is nurse Lucy Ross the woman for him? When brothers Tom and John are recalled to active service, Artie is left to look after the farm. But tragedy strikes at the very heart of the family, when Arthur peacefully passes and John is reported missing in action. Pam, is left grief-stricken and fearing the worst with John lost at sea – has John’s luck finally run out?

'A heart-warming and affecting tale' – Woman's Weekly Homecoming for the Chocolate Girls is the heartfelt and dramatic conclusion to this gritty family saga about love, war and chocolate. 1946: The war might be over, but for the Gilby family there are still battles to be fought at home...

Berlin, 1938: it’s the height of summer, and Germany is on the brink of war. When fledgling reporter Georgie Young is posted to Berlin, alongside fellow Londoner Max Spender, she knows they are entering the eye of the storm. Arriving to a city swathed in red flags and crawling with Nazis, Georgie feels helpless, witnessing innocent people being torn from their homes. As tensions rise, she realises she and Max have to act - even if it means putting their lives on the line. 

Retired US detective Emil Janowitz has lied to his wife for more than forty years. Losing his entire family as an inmate of Auschwitz Concentration Camp he found it easier than facing the demons buried deep inside. A letter from an unknown Aleksy Markowski sends him off on a journey, to hunt down and denounce vicious Kapos who were supposedly gassed in the last days before liberation. The truth, they fled justice and still live and flourish and must be brought to justice. Emil’s journey triggers memories he's long locked away and his journey opens him up to a life he'd put in the past.

London, 1969: The Kray twins, the nemeses of Charles Holborne, barrister, are finally convicted of multiple murders and sent away for the longest prison terms ever imposed by a British court. But with London in the grip of a housing crisis and unscrupulous landlords hiking rents, there are new ruthless enforcers terrorizing destitute East Enders. When a tenant dies during a violent altercation with bailiffs, Charles is instructed to represent the businessmen charged with conspiracy to murder.

1942: a German spy comes ashore on a desolate stretch of Lincolnshire beach. But he is hunted down by a young detective, Richard Prince. The secret services have need of a man like him.... In occupied Europe, Denmark is a hotbed of problems for British intelligence. Rumours of a war-ending weapon being developed by the Germans are rife. Sent to Copenhagen, Prince is soon caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Dodging Gestapo agents, SS muscle and the danger of betrayal, his survival - and the war effort - hangs in the balance. 

The story of the Gunbus. First Lieutenant Bill Harsker and his squadron come up against the deadly Fokker monoplane. While many other squadrons are decimated, the Gunbuses give the fledgling RFC hope. When a new commanding officer takes over the squadron and imposes impossible rules, lives are lost and Bill has to face a court martial. All of the gains they have made are threatened by a martinet. The novel spans the end of 1915 and the start of 1916. It shows the harsh realities of life on the Western Front, in the air and the problems of the civilians back home.

A heartbreakingly beautiful novel, The Memory Box unlocks an unforgettable epic story of love and war, from the million-copy-selling author of The Letter, Kathryn Hughes. If you adored The Nightingale, The Tuscan Contessa or My Name is Eva, this is the book for you. Some love stories can't be...

Brought to you by Penguin. The tale of female camaraderie and bravery from beloved saga author Rosie Meddon. When one woman's attempt to help the war effort from her sleepy Devon village is thwarted, she is determined to fight back! September 1940: When Isabel Thaxley becomes homeless and...

Singer Jessie Delaney is back home after narrowly escaping the London Blitz with her life. With husband Johnny Randolph serving overseas, Frances Randolph is busy juggling the business, motherhood and keeping West End star Ruby Randolph out of trouble. Young, talented amateur entertainer, Peggy Marshall has been left in the care of her feckless stepmother while her father serves on the dangerous Atlantic convoys. With everyone doing their bit, the Seaside Girls pool their talents to support the community and also their men at war.

It's 1952 and with a new Monarch about to ascend the thrown, The Woolworths Girls will face fresh new challenges . . . At The Erith Store there is a new temporary manager and Sarah is getting more than a little concerned by problems he seems to be creating. The whole mess is enough to make her...

From the pen of bestselling author and historian James Holland comes this action-packed page-turner of a wartime thriller. Jam-packed with sharp dialogue, dynamic and authentic scenes and unforgettable characterisation, this is perfect for fans of Robert Harris, Bernard Cornwell and Ken Follett...

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Christmas at Liberty's, written by Fiona Ford. The first novel in the Liberty Girls series will be loved by fans of Elaine Everest, Nancy Revell and Mr Selfridge. ‘A wonderful, uplifting story of friendship and courage. Characters that you can't...

'You don’t mean you're going to divorce him?' Miss Spanner said with horror. A sophisticated, emotive novel, Chatterton Square concerns the complex web of relationships between two neighbouring families, the Blacketts and the Frasers. Framed by the advance of the Second World War, the subtle mechanics of marriage and love are laid bare through the observation of three of the marital options open to the mid-century woman: unmarried, separated, miserably married.

The Lonely Sea is a collection of riveting tales of the sea including the story that launched Alistair MacLean's writing career and the account of the epic battle to sink the German battle ship, Bismarck.

Engrossing and memorable, The Sins of the Father is the second novel in international bestseller Jeffrey Archer’s celebrated The Clifton Chronicles. It takes us to New York in 1939 where our hero Harry Clifton is in desperate need of help. This audio edition is captivatingly read by Alex...

LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE Penang, 1939. Sixteen-year-old Philip Hutton is a loner. Half English, half Chinese and feeling neither, he discovers a sense of belonging in an unexpected friendship with Hayato Endo, a Japanese diplomat. Philip shows his new friend around his adored island...

At twenty-five, Ruby Nevins has already endured more than most. But after two years of battling cancer, she’s warily determined to move forward. Researching a new project about a French actress, she soon uncovers an old diary that will change her life forever… Cécile, the “it” girl of early 1940s French cinema, vanished from Nazi-occupied Paris in 1942. Sylvia Rousseau, Cécile’s dressmaker and confidante, left that same year. Working to piece together the truth behind Cécile’s disappearance and Sylvia’s extraordinary life, Ruby recognizes the women as kindred spirits.