The Stormy Petrel


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A Stormy Petrel: The Life and Times of John Pope Hennessy


Book Description

Many words have been used to describe John Pope Hennessy, the former governor of Hong Kong. “Controversial” is perhaps the briefest way to outline his character. Yet we may be guilty of ascribing modern ideas to our understanding of characters of the past. An Irish Catholic raised during the age of empire and rising nationalism, a devout Tory and Disraeli follower, a believer in both the benefits of empire and a patron of local talent in his postings, it is easy to view Pope Hennessy as a man of contradictions. This volume traces Pope Hennessy’s history from his early beginnings in famine Ireland to his attempts to rise through the ranks in London. It goes on to cover his early postings to Labuan, West Africa, and, of course, Hong Kong, as well as his final days with his family. His actions and his personality are laid bare for readers fo form their own opinions of one of Hong Kong’s most enigmatic governors. “As to Sir J. P. Hennessy, the less said the better. His acts speak powerfully enough. The centre of his world was he himself. But with all the crowd of dark and bright powers that were wrestling within him, he could not help doing some good…” - Dr Ernst Johann Eitel, Missionary, sinologist, and John Pope Hennessy’s private secretary




Thornyhold


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'A comfortable chair and a Mary Stewart: total heaven. I'd rather read her than most other authors.' Harriet Evans The rambling house called Thornyhold is like something out of a fairy tale. Left to Gilly Ramsey by the cousin whose occasional visits brightened her childhood, the cottage, set deep in a wild wood, has come just in time to save her from a bleak future. With its reputation for magic and its resident black cat, Thornyhold offers Gilly more than just a new home. It offers her a chance to start over. The old house, with it tufts of rosy houseleek and the spreading gilt of the lichens, was beautiful. Even the prisoning hedges were beautiful, protective with their rusty thorns, their bastions of holly and juniper, and at the corners, like towers, their thick columns of yews. 'Mary Stewart is magic' New York Times 'One of the great British storytellers of the 20th century' Independent




The Black Riders


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The Black Riders is the first in a series featuring Dick, a preteen orphan who gets caught up in a rebellion against the succession to the crown in a European kingdom run on medieval lines and guarded by the legendary Black Riders with Count Jasper in charge. Humour, loyalty and adventure become mixed as the story progresses and Dick is captured.




The Savoy Truffle


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Set among the mansions and tennis clubs of Surrey's richest suburb, The Savoy Truffle is a darkly comic drama that evokes an era when Mod gear was fab, the Shorty Nightie shocking, the coffee frothy, and a new Beatles' single brought hysteria to the classroom. The grey post-war years are trembling on the verge of Technicolour, and the Blyte children are struggling to cope with the transition in their own idiosyncratic ways: Hugh's novel is held up by yearning for the Irish au pair; Janey moons over the mystery of men and the enigmatic Black Mini; George wages savage war on his Enemy; and the Moo takes refuge in his exclusive Sloppy Club. A crisis in their parents' lives brings madness and death, a supernatural visitor and an all-too-real tiger... The children have to confront - and conquer - the follies of their elders with wit and invention. Patrick Harpur is the acclaimed author of three novels and three works of non-fiction, including Daimonic Reality, The Philosophers' Secret Fire and Mercurius. He lives in West Dorset, worlds away from his Surrey upbringing.




The Prince and the Pilgrim


Book Description

Alexander the Fatherless: nephew of the villainous King March of Cornwall, who murdered his father. Burning with vengeance, Alexander sets out on a journey to Camelot to seek justice from King Arthur. His path will lead him to the Dark Tower, where the sorceress Morgan le Fay lies in wait. Morgan seduces Alexander and sends him on a quest to Jerusalem to recover the Holy Grail - which she believes will help her take the throne. Alice the Pilgrim: daughter of a man who has sworn to journey to Jerusalem every three years, Alice grows to womanhood on the pilgrim's trail. And then she meets a boy who carries a cup - which he claims is the Holy Grail. Alice and her father will move heaven and earth to bring the Grail back to Britain. And Alexander will do anything to find it. Their quests will bring them together, and the day that Alexander and Alice meet will go down in legend. The Prince & the Pilgrim is the final installment of Mary Stewart's classic Arthurian Saga, a must-read for all fans of history, fantasy and great literature alike.







Rose Cottage


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Seeking the truth about her humble beginnings, widow Kate Herrick travels back to the seemingly tranquil Rose Cottage in rural England, only to discover a story of family bitterness, jealousy, and revenge, and to find romance where she least expects it. Reprint.




Airs Above the Ground


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A thrilling tale of adventure and deception set in 1950s Austria, from the queen of romantic suspense and author of Madam, Will You Talk? 'This zestful romantic adventure grips, amuses, frightens and delights' Sunday Telegraph Vanessa March's husband Lewis is meant to be on a business trip in Stockholm. So why does he briefly appear in newsreel footage of a fire at a circus in Vienna, with his arm around another woman? Vanessa flies to Austria to find her husband - and inadvertently becomes involved in a mystery surrounding the famous dancing stallions of Austria's Spanish Riding School . . . Praise for Mary Stewart: 'Mary Stewart is magic' New York Times 'I'd rather read her than most other authors' Harriet Evans 'One of the great British storytellers of the 20th century' Independent 'She set the benchmark for pace, suspense and romance - with a great dollop of escapism as the icing' Elizabeth Buchan Reader reviews of Airs Above the Ground: 'You feel you are there in the story. This made my holiday perfect' 'This book has it all . . . thrilling action in a stunning Austrian setting, I loved it' 'A cracking good story, beautifully written. This is a most satisfying read' 'Mary Stewart specialises in novels which have you alternately holding your breath as to what might happen, or chuckling to yourself. This is one of her best'




The Emerald Crown


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