Showing results by narrator "David Blair" in All Categories

Suave, unflappable and ambitious, veteran politician Charles Bannister knows his way around the corridors of power. As chief whip, he's adept at keeping MPs in line and squashing potential scandals—aided by his brother-in-law, MI6 Agent Henry Colvil, who whispers useful titbits of information in his ear. His position seems invincible—but nothing is forever, and when the tides of politics turn, Charles finds himself under threat. In these six series, we follow his fortunes and those of his close friend Home Secretary Dougal Baxter. Together, the duo rise, fall and rise again.

In the third book in Bella Swift's adorable Sausage Dog series, Stanley is about to experience his first Halloween. Stanley the sausage dog is so excited when he finds out his family are planning a big Halloween party! But Cleo the cat is terrified of all things spooky and doesn't want to...

In the second book in Bella Swift's Sausage Dog series, Stanley the sausage dog is off on holiday to the seaside! But Stanley soon finds himself jealous of the cool surfer dogs at the beach. Can Stanley learn to surf and be the coolest dog around, or will he learn that the best dog to be...

Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life is one of the best-loved films of Classical Hollywood cinema, a story of despair and redemption in the aftermath of war that is one of the central movies of the 1940s, and a key text in America's understanding of itself. This is a film that remains relevant to our own anxieties and yearnings, to all the contradictions of ordinary life, while also enacting for us the quintessence of the classic Hollywood aesthetic.

Young King Henry VI has married the beautiful Margaret of Anjou but the new queen is ruthless and ambitious. Supported by the powerful Duke of Suffolk, Margaret plots the overthrow of her enemies, chief among them the Duke of Gloucester. But the Duke of York also aspires to the crown, and the common people, led by Jack Cade, are in rebellion. To the despair of the mild young king, England descends into civil war.

London, Christmas 1999. The world is on edge. With the new millennium just days away, fears of the Millennium Bug are spiralling – warnings of computer failures, market crashes, even global catastrophe. But 50 miles east, on the frozen Blackwater Island, a different kind of mystery unfolds. A child's body is discovered on the bracken, untouched by footprints, with no sign of how he died. And no one has come forward to claim him. At the International Tribune, reporter Jonny Murphy senses something is off. Police are appealing for relatives, not suspects.

Cambridge, 1944. Bill Anderson is a restless young fighter pilot who finds himself grounded for a week. He can't wait to get back in the sky where he belongs. But fate has other plans. He strays into a stuffy college library and happens on Mary Rice, a spirited bluestocking who takes his breath away. Before long, the spark between them deepens into true love. But their time together can't last forever. All too soon, Bill is torn from Mary's side and sent back to the battlefield. Then the unthinkable happens.

The biggest annual sports event in the world is the Tour de France. In the wake of its overwhelming popularity, it’s easy to forget that there is much more to cycling than whoever gets to wear the yellow jersey. Cycling is rich with legends and pioneers, and it is their stories which light up this compelling account of the sport. This is the story of British cycling as told through the lives of the people who built it. From the first recorded race in a Paris park in 1868 to the present day, Great British Cycling Legends profiles the true originals.

A delightful collection of children's favorites hosted by a hilarious wicked witch and narrated with delightful enthusiasm. Featuring the classic story of "Snow White", the story of "The Seven Ravens", the charming "Little Ida's Flowers", and the mirthful "The Shoemaker and the Elves".

This collection of classic Christmas tales is a delightful celebration of Christmas and the joyful spirit of giving. "What Christmas is as We Grow Older" is Charles Dicken's touching essay on the true meaning of charity; "Christmas Day" is a delightful story of a young boy's willingness to sacrifice skating with his friends to help an old woman; "The Little Match Girl" is the heart-wrenching classic about a poor little match girl, cold and alone on the streets on Christmas Eve; and "The Greatest of These" is an upbeat, inspiring story of a pair of farmers who bring Christmas to a poor neighbor's family.

A charming collection of whimsical children's favorites narrated with wit, warmth, and wonder. Featuring the mischievous story of "Jack and the Beanstalk", the tongue-twisting "Henny Penny", the lethargic "Lazy Jack", and the scrambled "Humpty Dumpty".

A wonderful collection of Christmas stories and poems celebrating all the warmth and joy of the holiday season. "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus" is a kindly editor's reply to a young reader regarding the existence of Santa; "Silent Night" is the classic song read with meaning and reverence; "The Christmas Masquerade" is a charming tale of a magical Christmas Eve.

Argentina, 1988. Human remains are found on a beach - a gruesome echo of when the tide brought home dozens of bodies thrown from planes during Argentina's Dirty War. Flights of death, their passengers known as the Disappeared. International Tribune reporter Jonny Murphy is in Buenos Aires interviewing families of the missing, desperate to keep their memory alive, when the corpse turns up. His investigations with his companion, freelance photographer Paloma, have barely started when Argentina's simmering financial crisis explodes around them.

They say the sea never forgets...When an injured John Maynard accepts the position of lighthouse keeper on the remote island of Craghorn, he finds himself in unfamiliar territory. With only his faithful dog and the last keeper for company, the dilapidated lighthouse station soon appears to be more occupied than on initial inspection. Now the lights have gone out and there’s a storm coming. A classic ghost story for lovers of mystery and isolation.

Parenting is a challenge. Between busy schedules and stress, it feels like the world is closing in on you; we’ve all been there. Do you know what could help? Meditation. You’re about to discover a world in which you can possess the mindfulness to get you through all of life’s troubles. With the recent COVID pandemic, life has been even more challenging. Through the isolation of quarantine, the trials of maintaining financial stability, and the hindrance to your children’s education, one thing can be said: It’s been a struggle.

In this compelling study, Joshua Clover undertakes the task of decoding the film. Examining The Matrix's digital effects and how they were achieved, he shows how the film represents a melding of cinema and video games (the greatest commercial threat to have faced Hollywood since the advent of television) and achieves a hybrid kind of immersive entertainment. He also unpacks the movie's references to philosophy, showing how The Matrix ultimately expresses the crisis American culture faced at the end of the 1990s.

Ridley Scott's dystopian classic Blade Runner, an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, combines noir with science fiction to create a groundbreaking cyberpunk vision of urban life in the twenty-first century. In his innovative and nuanced reading, Scott Bukatman details the making of Blade Runner and its steadily improving fortunes following its release in 1982.

Sophie isn't going to let a little thing like divorce stop her from flying to New York to see her family. Mike isn't going to let a little thing like losing his wife stop him from flying to New York for work. The one thing they both know for certain is that they're done with love: they're too old, too tired, too lonely for any of it. And when the luggage carousel at JFK airport decides to give them each the wrong suitcase, they agree that a friendly dinner in the big apple won't do any harm. After all, love stories come when you least expect them.