Showing results by narrator "Stewart Crank" in All Categories

Fourteen-year-old Jaime Pappas expects to live the remainder of his life on the chilly Alps of the Air Kingdom. But he doesn't expect the king's men to arrive to his farmstead - or burn his brother for treason. Forced to run, Jaime's world upends when he discovers a chilling prophecy that will call him to exchange his farmer’s cowl for a crown.

Magazine editor and part-time archaeologist, Gill McArdle is getting it together. Or at least, he thinks he is, until the death of a friend throws his life into turmoil. He’s on Orkney, researching an elaborate stone carrying an ancient religious motif. But he’s perplexed as the carving long predates any previous incidence of the symbol’s first use. Either someone is tampering with Orcadian archaeology, or Gill is facing a puzzle that can’t be resolved.

Now Then is a biographical mosaic of Yorkshire. Rick Broadbent, an award-wining author and exiled Yorkshireman, goes in search of the soul of England's biggest county and produces an all-encompassing portrait of a place that has been victimised and stereotyped since the days of Williams the Conqueror. Incorporating social history, memoir, reportage and author interviews, Now Then paints a picture of what it means to be from Yorkshire - both now and back then.

From an irresponsible baron whose body is discovered beneath a silver birch tree, to a classic detective duo solving a historic case as the lights go out across Europe, and an exclusive Tony Hill and Carol Jordan story, the characters McDermid conjures are enigmatic and dangerous. These evocative, atmospheric tales will shock and delight.

In Wild Winter, John D. Burns, best-selling author of The Last Hillwalker and Bothy Tales, sets out to rediscover Scotland’s mountains, remote places and wildlife in the darkest and stormiest months. He traverses the country from the mouth of the River Ness to the Isle of Mull, from remote Sutherland to the Cairngorms, in search of rutting red deer, pupping seals, minke whales, beavers, pine martens, mountain hares, and otters.

It’s not just a box: it’s an ancient weapon capable of destroying entire cities. Deep within the badlands, warped and twisted by tainted magic and weirdlings, the box holds secret wisdom lost in the Cataclysm. The archaeologists who discovered it are selling it to the highest bidder. If it falls into the wrong hands, their fragile civilization’s uneasy peace will be shattered once and for all. John and his fellow adventurers are hired to steal this ancient artifact so it can be safely destroyed. Stealing it is one thing; surviving it is another.

Meant for younger listeners, This Boy is a gripping biography of two musical legends. Beginning with their births during World War II England and ending with their famous performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, this book is action packed from beginning to end. Whether you are a lifelong Beatles fan or new to their music, this book is an excellent source of Beatles lore that is relatively unknown.

A classic of modernist literature, Ulysses by the Irish writer James Joyce, was published in 1922. It chronicles a day in the life of Leopold Bloom, his friends Buck Mulligan and Stephen Dedalus, his wife, Molly, and a cast of supporting characters. The novel is loosely based on the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey and establishes a set of correspondences between the characters and experiences of Bloom and Odysseus, Stephen Dedalus and Telemachus, Molly Bloom and Penelope.

In the autumn of 1982, a single stone fell from high on the south face of Annapurna and struck Alex MacIntyre on the head, killing him instantly and robbing the climbing world of one of its greatest talents. Although only 28 years old, Alex was already one of the leading figures of British mountaineering's most successful era. His ascents included hard new routes on Himalayan giants like Dhaulagiri and Changabang and a glittering record of firsts in the Alps and Andes.

This classic collection of animal stories follows the adventures of a local vet and the various animals who need his help and care. From a poorly cow who needs urgent treatment, a lost pony who needs rescuing or even a cheeky cat who keeps getting into mischief, this heartwarming collection of animal tales, set against the beautiful, snowy backdrop of the stunning Yorkshire landscape, is perfect to be shared together at this special time of year.

The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which the "effectual" truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. It is also notable for being in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time, particularly those concerning politics and ethics.

Once, there was a shining civilization grounded on magic, with sorcerers, flying cities, iron ships, castles in the clouds, and wonders beyond the dreams of mortal men. Then, in a single cataclysmic moment fifty years ago, magic flared and the wondrous world came to an end. The few who survived are struggling to reclaim what they lost. Meanwhile, darker forces plot to shape the future to something more to their liking.

On a dark and stormy December night, my family are gathered at an isolated hotel in the English countryside. We're reuniting for the first time since the accident that shattered our lives ten years ago. It's a time for love and forgiveness. But more than one guest has an ulterior motive. As the clock strikes midnight, one member of our party is found dead at the foot of the grand marble staircase. Everyone is a suspect. But which one of us is a killer?

John, Scout, and the rest of Joyce's crew flee across the deserts and magical wastelands, holding the plans to make motivators: devices that provide unlimited magical power to any mage. Devices owned only by Greyshade, the man who saved the world after the apocalypse. Devices he blames for bringing the apocalypse in the first place. Devices he'll do anything to keep secret. Now, instead of bounty hunters, Greyshade is sending armies and magical assassins after them. And if that's not enough, he's leading this vast force himself.

When the adult children of five billionaires are abducted by a shadowy group, their parents face an unthinkable ultimatum: pay the highest price, or lose their loved ones forever. But as fortunes crumble and alliances fracture, secrets rise to the surface. On a remote island prison, the hostages are pushed to their limits, uncovering betrayals while the manipulative mastermind pulls the strings. Time is running out, and the stakes are higher than anyone imagined.

Surprise! I'm a prince. As the heir to the throne of a small country, I was shocked when my younger sister decided to leave her royal life behind and move to America. Like any good big brother would, I started digging to see what she was up to. Somewhere along the way, I found myself chatting with the woman of my dreams on a new dating app. She's smart. She's funny. And she's about to get out of the Marines after serving for eight years. The only problem is, she doesn't know I'm a prince. Now I've come to America to tell her. Hopefully she doesn't freak out.

The Bleep Test combines gripping and startlingly vulnerable recollections of early experiences on the wards with an array of research findings, from psychology and human biology to anthropology, business, and behavioral economics.

What if running in beautiful places was paradoxically contributing to the destruction of those precious environments and causing irreversible global harm to people and animals, too? In We Can’t Run Away from This, ultrarunner Damian Hall examines the impact of running in our climate and ecological emergency. Packed with insights from experts, it is an enlightening book that will prompt us all to really think about our kit, food, and travel and to identify simple changes we can make to our running and wider lives.

The Last Blue Mountain is the heart-rending true story of the 1957 expedition to Mount Haramosh in the Karakoram range in Pakistan. With the summit beyond reach, four young climbers are about to return to camp. Their brief pause to enjoy the view and take photographs is interrupted by an avalanche which sweeps Bernard Jillott and John Emery hundreds of feet down the mountain into a snow basin. Rae Culbert and Tony Streather risk their own lives to rescue their friends, only to become stranded alongside them.

A Short History of England (1917) is Chesterton’s commentary on the philosophical, social, and religious history of England. The book focuses on those highlights that have shaped the nation, and is presented in the author’s customary wit. Having displayed strong Roman Catholic leanings at this time of his life, the author equates Anglicanism with atheism, but does commend the upliftment achieved by the Wesleyans. Chesterton views the story of England as the story of robber barons who became an aristocracy and who concealed their rise to power and hegemony through Parliament.