British Life

Recognising Black British experience within the Black Lives Matter movement, 19 prominent Black figures explain why Black lives should be celebrated when too often they are undervalued. Drawing from personal experience, they stress how Black British people have unique perspectives and experiences that enrich British society and the world; how Black lives are far more interesting and important than the forces that try to limit it.

Dynamite and Davey: The Explosive Lives of the British Bulldogs is the triumphant but ultimately tragic story of Tom Billington and Davey Boy Smith. Cousins born just a couple of years apart in a small mining town near Wigan, Tom and Davey discovered the art of wrestling as schoolboys. Tom went on to become the Dynamite Kid, arguably the greatest and most pioneering wrestler in history, but his short temper and determination to reach the top of a sport dominated by naturally bigger men would be his undoing.

From Doctor Who to Tip Toe, Queer as Folk to Coronation Street, Britain’s foremost television writer and showrunner takes us behind the scenes of some of the nation’s most beloved programmes. In The Queerest of Folk, Russell T Davies traces his remarkable career in television, from his early...

A new edition of David Attenborough’s groundbreaking Life on Earth. Winner of Best Non-Fiction Audiobook at the New York Radio Awards 2019. Shortlisted for Best Audiobook at the Specsavers National Book Awards 2018. Shortlisted for Futurebook of the Year at the Futurebook Awards 2018. The...

From a Nottingham alleyway to a global empire, Threads is the story of a truly unique British fashion icon. Read by Bill Nighy, this audiobook includes an exclusive interview between the actor and Sir Paul Smith. ‘I always say that you can find inspiration in everything. And if you can't, look...

Learn and improve your English with the BBC. Collected here for the first time are 12 episodes from BBC Learning English's popular 6 Minute English series. Aimed at intermediate-level learners of English, each programme examines a different topic which is discussed and explained to help learners...

'The entire span of British submarine history has been carefully recorded here: the tragedies in both peace and war … the successes too.' — Geoffrey Moorhouse, Daily Telegraph

‘A delightful odyssey through the history, nostalgia, fascination and British love of cake. Quirky, charming, and fun.’ PRUE LEITH The British take cakes seriously. We hold strong opinions about how to bake a brownie with the perfect squidge, the correct proportions of icing to sponge, and...

'An empowering read . . . it is refreshing to see somebody celebrate the role that black Britons have played in this island's long and complicated history' DAVID LAMMY, author of Tribes, in 'The best books of 2020', the Guardian 'Timely and so important . . . recognition is long overdue . . . I...

"This deeply personal book is a delight for those who already value our feathered friends and is a perfect introduction for those who are new to birding."—Caroline Quentin Birdwatching is for everyone. Discover how simple, everyday encounters with birds can help you bond with the natural world...

The extraordinary story of British junior officers in the First World War, who led their men out of the trenches and faced a life expectancy of six weeks. During the Great War, many boys went straight from the classroom to the most dangerous job in the world - that of junior officer on the Western Front. Although desperately aware of how many of their predecessors had fallen before them, nearly all stepped forward, unflinchingly, to do their duty. The average life expectancy of a subaltern in the trenches was a mere six weeks.

Bloomsbury presents A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith, read by Jeremy Clyde. 'As brilliant a cosy crime novel as you'll ever read' JANICE HALLETT 'A masterful voice in the mystery world' S. J. BENNETT 1901. Gabriel Ward KC is hard at work on a thorny libel case involving London's most...

Brought to you by Penguin. George Mikes's perceptive manual for everyone who longs to attain True Britishness provides a complete guide to the British Way of Life. Having been born in Hungary, he eventually spent more than forty years in the field, and the fruits of his labour include insights...

Poor Jean Collins. She stepped out into the road without looking and now lies broken in hospital. But what distracted her? And why was she carrying a box of vanilla slices, the cream cakes she only ever bought for special occasions? Jean's daughter Anne travels back up north to find out. But her...

This is a revised and updated edition of an award-winning book, recognized as the authoritative work on the subject of British food. It is a breathtaking attempt to trace the changes to and influences on food in Britain from the Black Death through the Enclosures, the Reformation, the Industrial Revolution, and the rise of Capitalism to the present day.

Brought to you by Penguin. ‘The roads don’t forget, and old reputations cling on, drawing trouble even when someone’s trying to start fresh.’ Take a step into the heart of the British inner city with Trapped Life, a searingly candid narrative that shatters sensationalist headlines to...

Set in 1930s London, Winifred Watson’s Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day recounts twenty-four hours in the life of a governess who turns up for a very unexpected first day at work. Watson’s comedic, light-hearted novel is read by Academy Award-winning actress Frances McDormand, who plays Miss...

From the lauded, bestselling author of The Cazalet Chronicles, After Julius is Elizabeth Jane Howard's funny yet touching story of a family brought together yet falling apart. 'A novel that commands both respect and applause' – Sunday Times It is twenty years since Julius died, but his last...

No animal better symbolises the desire to get closer and the need to respect distance than the owl. The silent approach of a white angel over a paddock is one of the most alluring images in the British countryside. The t’wit and the answering t’wo is a classic of the night. Both are tiny...

She came to the throne in 1952 when Britain had a far-flung empire, sweets were rationed, mums stayed home and kids played on bombsites. Seventy years on, everything has changed utterly - except the Queen herself, ageing far more gracefully than the fractious nation over which she so lightly...