The Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins descends on seventeen-century Essex, where he finds himself oddly fascinated by a 'peculiar' young woman. A historical novel with real bite, which rec... read more
Garner’s tenth novel is a slim, strange and wonderful creature: mercurial, funny, frightening, enigmatic. It weaves autobiographical threads with folklore, symbol and archaeology – and w... read more
The product of many years' research, this is an amazing book that reconstructs the eleven 'Strand Palaces' which both gave rise to the distinctly English style that emerged in country houses... read more
Thomas Robins the Elder (1716-1770) recorded the country estates of the Georgian gentry - their orchards, Rococo gardens and potagers - like no other, with both topographical accuracy and de... read more
It's the shortest, coldest day of the year and Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant in a small Irish town, busies himself with the last few deliveries. An elegant and carefully distilled... read more
This marvellous memoir of her youth in Tottenham ends when her theatrical career takes off: forthright, transparent, dry, funny - there is nothing remotely precious about Dame Eileen's accou... read more
A gorgeous book, drawing from the V&As enormous collections. It contains over 500 pages of lavish illustrations, each chapter focusing on a different technique - weaving, knitting, dying... read more
Celebrated particularly for its classical statues (qv the excellent recent The Torlonia Marbles), this Roman villa was the C18th creation of Cardinal Albani. It was preserved with its collec... read more
Long has spent a large part of his 50-year career hiking across various mountain ranges, valleys and deserts. This book is a chronology of his trips and a testament to his eye for finding co... read more
This electric new translation of Kleist's novella of 1810 reminds us why it was so admired by writers such as Rilke and Kafka. MH brilliantly renders the austere yet wild narrative about a C... read more
A survey of this pioneering and serene colourist (1885-1965), who eschewed '-isms' and quietly got on with his work - much of it plein air. Early impressionistic impastos quickly give way to... read more
Amongst the plethora of recent books on the threats facing liberal democracy, this one stands out for the author's talent for making complex subjects comprehensible. He sees the danger comin... read more