Kamila Shamsie Knihy

Isma je volná. Vyrostla v Londýně a po matčině smrti se roky starala o mladší sourozence, dvojčata Aneeku a Parvaize. Nyní přijala pozvání své profesorky do Ameriky, kde si konečně může splnit sen, který na dlouhou dobu odložila. Nedokáže se ale přestat strachovat o svou krásnou a tvrdohlavou sestru Aneeku, která studuje práva v Londýně, ani o bratra Parvaize, jenž se zničehonic rozhodl dokázat, že je právoplatným synem svého otce, džihádisty, kterého ovšem nikdy nepoznal. Parvaiz se dostal až do Sýrie a své nešťastné sestry nechal daleko za sebou. Co pro něj mohou udělat? Co by měly udělat? Vypovídá bratrovo rozhodnutí také něco o jejich vlastních životech?

Hiroko Tanaka vyjde na verandu svého domu, zahalená v kimonu se třemi černými jeřáby na zádech. Myslí přitom na svého snoubence Konrada Weisse, Němce, který v Japonsku hledal ztracený svět a našel ji. A potom se v záblesku bílého světla z Konrada stejně jako z dalších obyvatel Nagasaki stane jen černý stín vypálený do kamene. Atomová bomba připraví Hiroko o všechno a jako nesmazatelná připomínka toho, co se stalo, jí zůstanou jen tři spáleniny ve tvaru ptáků na zádech. Ve snaze začít znovu se Hiroko vydá do Dillí, kde se její život spojí se životem Konradovy nevlastní sestry Elizabeth, jejího manžela Jamese Burtona a Jamesova asistenta, mladého muslima Sadžáda Ašráfa, který ji začne učit urdsky. Po odchodu Britů a rozpadu Indie zůstane Hiroko vykořeněná podruhé, ve světě, kde staré války vystřídaly nové konflikty. Ale stíny dějin – osobních i světových – dál dopadají na propojené světy Weissových-Burtonových a Tanakových-Ašráfových, pronásledují je z Pákistánu do New Yorku a z New Yorku do Afghánistánu. Pouta, která po desetiletí vázala obě rodiny k sobě, se napínají k prasknutí.

The thrilling story of the critical naval battle that not only changed the Civil War but the future of all sea power with the advent of the iron-clad ship

At a time that feels unprecedented in British politics - with unlawful prorogations of parliament, casual race-baiting by senior politicians, and a climate crisis that continues to be ignored - it's easy to think these are uncharted waters for us, as a democracy. But Britain has seen political crises and far-right extremism before, just as it has witnessed regressive, heavy-handed governments. Much worse has been done, or allowed to be done, in the name of the people and eventually, those same people have called it out, stood up, and resisted. In this new collection of fictions and essays spanning two millennia of British protest, authors, historians, and activists re-imagine twenty acts of defiance: campaigns to change unjust laws, protests against unlawful acts, uprisings successful and unsuccessful - from Boudica to Blair Peach, from the Battle of Cable Street to the tragedy of Grenfell Tower. Britain might not be famous for its revolutionary spirit, but its people know when to draw the line, and say very clearly, '¡No pasarán!'

A provocative study of current approaches to and theories regarding the character, location, social and physical context and object histories of specialised deposits in the European archaeological record

Ten holders of the Victoria Cross, the highest British military honour - for 'valour in the face of the enemy' - are associated with the Borough of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK. They include the very first VC to be awarded (in the Crimea, 1856). The lives of the recipients were played out worldwide - from Russia to New Zealand, Mesopotamia to North Africa, Italy to Canada and Afghanistan, as well as the UK, from Scotland to Surrey. The settings of their valiant acts, on land and sea, ranged from the Maori Wars to Tibet and the two World Wars. Using a vast array of historical and contemporary material, Richard Snow has painstakingly and skilfully pieced together the lives of these Ten Brave Men. Markedly different in background and personality, they had one thing in common - extraordinary courage when unexpectedly faced with the ultimate threat to comrades and country. These highly charged stories are in turn astounding, poignant, shocking, funny and sad, and will enthral and inspire all those interested in extreme bravery. Each story has a Foreword written by a member of the respective family and each Victoria Cross holder's monuments, memorials and tributes are included, together with the location of their medals, where known. Copiously and evocatively illustrated, this book explores the intense emotions and challenges of life in combat.

A merchant sailor works for a decade, captaining a yacht up and down the coasts of Malaysia, in the hope that his crooked employer will stay true to a promise... Years after a pandemic sweeps across Europe, wiping out its all-white population, a pilgrim returns to his Polish birthplace in search of the only other non-white kid he knew at school... An inscrutable hotelier loses his composure when a secret passage is discovered in his hotel, leading to a mysterious room and a previously hidden existence... Born in what is now Ukraine to Polish parents, naturalised as a British citizen, and schooled on the high seas of international commerce, Joseph Conrad was a true citizen of the world. His novels bore witness to the dehumanising repercussions of empire, explored a world in which state-sponsored terrorism ruined individuals' lives, and pioneered complex narrative structures and subjective points-of-view in what was to become the first wave of literary modernism. To mark his 160th birthday, 14 authors and critics from Britain, Poland and elsewhere have come together to celebrate his legacy with new pieces of fiction and non-fiction. Conrad felt that the writer's task was to offer 'that glimpse of truth for which you have forgotten to ask.' In an age of increasing isolationism, these celebrations remind you of the value of such glimpses.

In this retelling of 'The Ugly Duckling', Kamila Shamsie explores themes of identity, transformation, and belonging. The story follows a character who grapples with feelings of isolation and the desire for acceptance, ultimately discovering their true self amidst societal expectations. Shamsie's narrative adds depth to the classic tale, infusing it with contemporary relevance and emotional resonance, making it a poignant reflection on the journey of self-discovery and the challenges of fitting in.

Crib mates, raised together from birth, narrator Raheen and her best friend Karim dream each other's dreams, finish each other's sentences, speak in a language of anagrams. They share an idyllic childhood in upper-class Karachi with parents who are also best friends, even once engaged to the other until they rematched in what they jokingly call the fiancee swap. The night Karim's family migrates from Karachi to London, Raheen knows that some of my tears were his tears and some of his tears were mine. But as distance and adolescence split them apart, Karim takes refuge in the rationality of maps while Raheen searches for the secret behind her parents' exchange. What she uncovers takes us back two decades to reveal a story not just of a family's turbulent history but that of a country, and brings us forward to a grown-up Raheen and Karim drawn back to each other in the city that is their true home