Showing results by narrator "John Sackville" in All Categories

In 2014 it is possible that Israel, backed by the United States, will launch an attack on Iran. This would be a catastrophic event, risking war, bloodshed, and global economic collapse. In this passionate, but rationally argued essay, the author's attempt to avert a potential global catastrophe by showing that the grounds for war do not exist, that there are no Iranian nuclear weapons, and that Iran would happily come to a table and strike a deal.

A riveting and evocative tale of passion and murder, set on the French Riviera in the 1930s, from the No.1 bestselling author of The Savage Garden. France, 1935: At the poor man’s end of the Riviera sits Le Rayol, a haven for artists, expatriates and refugees. Here, a world away from the rumblings of a continent heading towards war, Tom Nash has rebuilt his life after a turbulent career in the Secret Intelligence Service. His past, though, is less willing to leave him behind.

The Banner of the Passing Clouds depicts life under the totalitarian communist regime in Georgia from the 50s to 90s, when Georgia gained independence from the USSR. Its narrator, born on the day Stalin dies, is given Stalin's name by hospital nurses - Iosif Dzhugashvili. When Iosif learns of his link to the 'man of steel', he becomes convinced that Stalin has found a new dwelling place within his chest, a burden he both welcomes and fears.

A bomb has exploded during a fashion show, killing a beautiful model on the catwalk. The murderer is still at large...and he may strike again. Yet this is the least of police Commissioner Christian Verger's worries. His fiancée, Viola, has left him. He has to keep his tumultuous past a secret. To make things worse, his voice assistant Alexa is 99.74 percent sure he will die tomorrow.

Giacomo Casanova arrives in England in the summer of 1763 at the age of 38, seeking a respite from his restless travels and liaisons. But the lure of company proves too hard to resist and the dazzlingly pretty face of young Marie Charpillon even harder. Casanova's pursuit of this elusive bewitcher drives him from exhilaration to despair and to attempt to reinvent himself in the roles of labourer, writer and country squire. 

In Baron Bagge, a cavalry officer stationed in Eastern Europe during the First World War receives orders to ride into a platoon of Russian machine guns. But instead of meeting certain death, he and his brigade pass, unscathed, into a strangely peaceful land where festivities are in full swing. In Count Luna, Alexander Jessiersky, Austrian aristocrat and shipping magnate, finds the Nazis distasteful - but in war and in business, distaste can lead to negligence.

It's 24 December 1999. Byron Easy, a poverty-stricken poet, half-cut and suicidal, sits on a stationary train at King's Cross waiting to depart. He has in his lap a bin-liner containing his remaining worldly goods - an empty bottle of red wine, a few books, a handful of crumpled banknotes. As the journey commences he conjures memories of the recent past, of his rollercoaster London life, and, most distressingly, of Mandy - his half-Spanish, Amazonian wife - in an attempt to make sense of his predicament.

Unveiling our forgotten history, Zinovya Dushkova, PhD continues to reveal sacred texts that have been immortalized in the secret depositories of Shambhala. This time her new award-winning work represents a synthesis from the pages of the Book of Dzyan and the Book of Fiery Destinies, which tell about the creation of our world by Woman.

A brutal massacre at a theme park leaves eight dead and triggers a wave of extremist violence across Britain. On the trail of the killer is Detective Superintendent Sophie Gabriel, who must confront her past as she races to stop rival Islamist and neo-Nazi terror groups bringing a deadly campaign of violence to Britain's streets. As community tensions rise, the Coalition Government appear to be exploiting the crisis for their own ends. In the midst of a political and media whirlwind, Gabriel and her team must stop a ruthless terrorist attack that could leave hundreds dead.

Three generations struggle in this suspenseful and compelling saga, which begins in 1912, Kent, England, and ends during the 1936-39 Spanish Civil War. After fleeing from an abusive husband accused of murder, Celia Merrill becomes embroiled in a Spanish Civil War. Celia’s two sons march under opposing banners, whilst her twin daughters take different paths; one to the Catholic Church and the other to the battlefields. And in the shadow of war, a sinister villain from the past resurfaces.

Francis of Assisi has inspired the church for centuries. Francis took the gospel literally, following all that Jesus said and did without limit, and his devotion led to a life filled with miracles and wonders. Born to a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi, Italy, Francis didn’t seem destined for the life of prayer and poverty that he chose. Bankrolled by his father, and with natural good looks and personality, Francis indulged in worldly pleasure. He had a ready wit, sang merrily, and delighted in fine clothes and showy display.

"You go too far, my friend. You are near dangerous ground." Neil Fischer is travelling to a village in East Germany that he has unexpectedly inherited – his father’s former hometown of Marschwald. Knowing it has been left to deteriorate for decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Neil is determined to restore the derelict village to its former glory, as his demanding late father would surely have wanted. But when he arrives, he is met with hostility, mistrust and underlying menace.

Art evolves and revolutionises itself through these simple - but ground-breaking - creative leaps. Art Firsts brings together 30 of these pioneering firsts to piece together an original approach to looking at and appreciating art, as well as understanding where it has come from and how it relates to you. Each first is approachable and engaging, while each work is simply and satisfyingly explained. Art Firsts offers a refreshing and fascinating narrative for those curious about why so-called 'masterpieces' are so important.

What Is a Doctor? is a vital contribution to the ongoing debate about how we maintain an NHS that is both fit for purpose and free. Using stories and case studies from across his thirty-year career as a GP, Dr Phil Whitaker offers insight into the medical movements, political interference and societal changes that have transformed the role of doctor over the past three decades.