Historical Fiction Books

Delve into the first novel of Julia Quinn's world famous Bridgerton series, now a major Netflix show. This is the gripping story of Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke: welcome to the ballrooms of Regency London . . . Can there be any greater challenge to London's Ambitious Mamas than an unmarried duke? -Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1813 By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend's sister, the lovely - and almost-on-the-shelf - Daphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth - it's all an elaborate plan to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. Their ruse works like a charm - at first. But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it's hard to remember that their courtship is a complete sham. Maybe it's his devilish smile, certainly it's the way his eyes seem to burn every time he looks at her. It wasn't the plan, but it seems she's falling for the duke, for real. And amidst the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London's elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule . . . 'Powered by a surfeit of dazzling wit and graced with a cast of unforgettable characters' – Booklist Product Information: • ISBN: 9780349429212 • Author: Julia Quinn • Publisher: Piatkus • Format: Paperback • Pages: 352 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 2.4 cm

The Nazis spared their lives because they were twins. In the summer of 1944, Eva Mozes Kor and her family arrived at Auschwitz. Within thirty minutes, they were separated. Her parents and two older sisters were taken to the gas chambers, while Eva and her twin, Miriam, were herded into the care of the man who became known as the Angel of Death, Dr. Josef Mengele. They were 10 years old. While twins at Auschwitz were granted the 'privileges' of keeping their own clothes and hair, they were also subjected to Mengele's sadistic medical experiments and were forced to fight daily for their own survival. In a narrative told simply, with emotion and astonishing restraint, The Twins of Auschwitz shares the inspirational story of a child's endurance and survival in the face of truly extraordinary evil. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781913183578 • Author: Eva Mozes Kor, Lisa Rojany Buccieri • Publisher: Monoray • Format: Paperback • Pages: 240 • Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.6 x 2 cm

Delve in the absorbing reimagining of one of the most notable archaeological discoveries in Britain and recent Netflix original series, The Dig! Staging an evocative human drama of passion, rivalry and regret on the threshold of the Second World War, this is a brilliantly realised account of the most famous archeological dig in British history, now a major motion picture starring Ralph Fiennes, Carey Mulligan and Lily James. It is a long hot summer in 1939 and Britain is preparing for war... On a riverside farm in Suffolk there is excitement of another kind however: Mrs Petty, the widowed farmer, has had her hunch proved correct that the strange mounds on her land hold buried treasure. As the dig proceeds against a background of mounting national anxiety, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary find... John Preston's recreation of the Sutton Hoo dig - the greatest Anglo-Saxon discovery ever in Britain - brilliantly and comically dramatizes three months of intense activity when locals fought outsiders, professionals thwarted amateurs, and love and rivalry flourished in equal measure. 'A delicate evocation of a vanished era' - Sunday Times. Product Information: ISBN: 9780241989630 Author: John Preston Publisher: Penguin Format: Paperback Pages: 240 Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.5cm

What will you find from his story? Nuri is a beekeeper, his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo - until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. As Nuri and Afra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss, but dangers that would overwhelm the bravest of souls. Above all - and perhaps this is the hardest thing they face - they must journey to find each other again. Moving, powerful, compassionate and beautifully written, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit. Told with deceptive simplicity, it is the kind of book that reminds us of the power of storytelling. Product Information:• ISBN: 9781838770013• Author: Christy Lefteri• Publisher: Manilla Press• Format: Paperback• Pages: 384• Dimensions: 12.9 x 2.8 x 19.8 cm

Bristol 1939. School leaver Maisie Miles suspects her father, a small-time crook, has an ulterior motive for insisting she gets a job at Wills tobacco factory but keeps it to herself. She's befriended by effervescent Phyllis Mason and kind-hearted Bridget Milligan who take pity on her and take Maisie under their wing. But beneath their happy go lucky exteriors they all harbour dreams and worries about what the future holds. Engaged to be married Phyllis dreams of romance and passion but when it comes there are dire consequences. Bridget seemingly the level headed one harbours a horror of something unspeakable that she cannot easily come to terms with. There's great comradeship at the tobacco factory, and with the advent of war everything is about to change and even the closest friendships are likely to be strained. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781801629010 • Author: Lizzie Lane • Publisher: Boldwood Books • Format: Paperback • Pages: 316 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 1.83 cm

We all have something to tell those we have lost . . . On a windy hill in Japan, in a garden overlooking the sea stands a disused phone box. For years, people have travelled to visit the phone box, to pick up the receiver and speak into the wind: to pass their messages to loved ones no longer with us. When Yui loses her mother and daughter in the tsunami, she is plunged into despair and wonders how she will ever carry on. One day she hears of the phone box, and decides to make her own pilgrimage there, to speak once more to the people she loved the most. But when you have lost everything, the right words can be the hardest thing to find . . . Then she meets Takeshi, a bereaved husband whose own daughter has stopped talking in the wake of their loss. What happens next will warm your heart, even when it feels as though it is breaking . . . Product Information: • ISBN: 9781786580412 • Author: Laura Imai Messina • Publisher: Manilla Press • Format: Paperback • Pages: 416 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.64 cm

Betty is running for her life. When Betty's husband returns from the war broken and haunted, she knows her marriage is doomed. Taking a fleeting chance to escape, she goes on the run armed with a new identity. Yet penniless and alone, Betty quickly finds that starting again is much harder than she thought. And she never imagined it could end in murder... But sometimes you have to keep running if you want to survive. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781405951425 • Author: Lesley Pearse • Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd • Format: Paperback • Pages: 398 • Dimensions: 19.7 x 13.5 x 2.8 cm

As the only female cabinet maker in the valley in 1935, Frankie Redfern is unusual. She faces prejudice even from her own mother. But she's content working for her father, and is unwilling to give up her independence or the work she loves for marriage. When her husband falls gravely ill, Frankie's mother takes over, causing serious trouble for her daughter. Jericho Harte has never met a woman he wanted to marry until he bumps into Frankie on the moors. When she comes to him the next day with an extraordinary suggestion, it seems a marriage of convenience might suit them both. Or could their relationship become more than that? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781473677883 • Author: Anna Jacobs • Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3 cm

London, 1930. Sooty, sulphurous, and malign: this is a night where no woman should be walking the streets. But Rachel Savernake is not an ordinary woman. To Scotland Yard's embarrassment, she solved the Chorus Girl Murder, and now she's on the trail of another killer: a man responsible for a spate of deaths so violent that even newspapermen consider the details too foul to print. But Jacob Flint, the naive young journalist manning The Clarion's crime desk, is looking for the scoop that will make his name. He's certain there is more to the Miss Savernake's amateur sleuthing than meets the eye. Flint's pursuit of his story will lead him deep into a labyrinth of deception and corruption. And then, murder by murder, he will be swept inexorably to that ancient place of execution, where everything began and where everything will end: Gallows Court. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781800241121 • Author: Martin Edwards • Publisher: Head of Zeus • Format: Paperback • Pages: 416 • Dimensions: 19.7 x 3.2 x 13 cm

Oxford Street, London 1915 Sally Harper quietly battles to keep Harpers afloat in the difficult days of the war, whilst husband Ben is working all hours for the War Office. Beth Burrow is fighting concern for her husband Jack, now at sea with the Merchant Navy, and the fear she may never see him again and be blessed with a child. Driven to exhaustion, Maggie Gibbs, is now working as a nursing assistant on the battlefields in France. With the everyday horrors of the casualties of war to contend with she suffers her own personal tragedy when her fiancé's plane ditches in the sea. Can the Harpers Girls and their loved ones survive the perils of war and find a path to future happiness? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781800481626 • Author: Rosie Clarke • Publisher: Boldwood Books Ltd  • Format: Paperback • Pages: 358 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.9 x 2.06 cm

A heart-warming wartime saga of love and loss for the post office girls. It is autumn 1940 and, as the bombs drop on London, a close-knit community struggles to survive. Working at the local post office, Bessie Green does her best to keep her customers' spirits up, but when she receives a telegram addressed to her parents, there's nothing she can do to prevent the heartache that lies ahead. Then Bessie hears that eleven-year-old Daisy Mason has been orphaned in a blast, and she's sure that taking Daisy into their home is just what her parents need to help them overcome their grief. At first, Daisy won't settle, then her handsome brother Josh comes back on leave and things look up for all of them. But the war brings further challenges for Bessie and her friends - with more hearts broken and loved-ones lost - before they can dare to dream of a brighter future... Product Information: • ISBN: 9781472256843 • Author: Pam Evans • Publisher: Headline • Format: Paperback • Pages: 288  • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.2 cm

Delve into the fantastic landmark fantasy from Brandon Sanderson, the man credited with breathing fresh life into Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, in the gripping The Mistborn Trilogy: 3 Book Box Set! An epic fantasy set in a world where the Dark Lord has gained dominion over the world. A world of ash and pain. A world subjugated. But a world where magic can be drawn from metals. A world waiting for a new heroine, a new hope. Included in this title: The Final Empire The Well of Ascension The Hero of Ages Product Information: ISBN: 9781473213692 Author: Brandon Sanderson Publisher: Gollancz Format: Book Collection Dimensions: 20.4 x 13.6 x 13.2cm

Billy London is a mean, dark, secretive man who is interested only in lining his pockets at the expense of those around him - most especially his wife and daughters. When Ellen, his wife, finds her children threatened, she prepares to fight like a tigress to protect the four girls, to give them the hope of a new and better life and a chance to escape from the evil and oppressive legacy of their father. There is Abigail, clever, ambitious, and with an outer shell of steel that is necessary if she is to survive; Tishy, overwhelmingly lovely, who lives in a world all her own; Marie, brisk, capable, and nearly strong enough to defy her father; Theresa, more wounded, more vulnerable, more damaged by Billy than any of them. As the sirens of 1939 herald the advent of war, so Billy London's girls begin their own battle for new, triumphant, and fulfilling lives. Product Information: • ISBN: 9780552178822 • Author: Ruth Hamilton • Publisher: Corgi • Format: Paperback • Pages: 528

'She's just a paper mill girl.' Seventeen-year-old Ruth Hardy works long hours at Grange Paper Works, with her younger sister Bea, and spends her free time caring for their ailing parents. Their meagre income barely covers their needs, so when Bea reveals that she is pregnant out of wedlock, Ruth knows even tougher times are ahead. Ruth's hard work at the mill does not go unnoticed and it looks as though luck might turn when she's promoted. But when the arrival of Bea's baby girl ends in tragedy, Ruth is left with no choice but to bring up her niece herself. However, news of Ruth's plan brings a threatening menace close. Although Ruth's friendship with the girls at the mill, and the company of charming railway man, Mick Carson, sustain her, ultimately Ruth bears the responsibility for keeping her family safe. Will she ever find happiness of her own? Product Information: • ISBN: 9781472268563 • Author: Glenda Young • Publisher: Headline • Format: Paperback • Pages: 368 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 3cm

Hull, 1852. Matty has had to care for her three younger sisters ever since their mother's death ten years ago. She and the girls' beloved father have worked hard to keep the family together and now it's time to celebrate as Matty turns eighteen. But their joy is short-lived when tragedy suddenly strikes and their father disappears on his way to London. The sisters have no way of knowing what has happened to him - only that he hasn't returned home. With little money left they're now forced to battle life's misfortunes alone... Product Information: • ISBN: 9780552179027 • Author: Val Wood • Publisher: Corgi • Format: Paperback • Pages: 352 • Dimensions: 19.69 x 12.7 x 2.29 cm

Online Only! Get more for less with The Work’s expertly hand-picked Book Bundles. These are a collection of great quality products, grouped together to give you amazing value. Calling all Bridgerton-fans... this is the must-have collection of No 1,2,3,4 and 5 of the Bridgerton classic novels! Including Bridgerton: The Duke and I, The Viscount Who Loved Me, An Offer From A Gentleman, Romancing Mr Bridgerton, To Sir Phillip, With Love, delve into the delightful Bridgerton world that inspired the new and deeply-loved Netflix TV Series!

In every life there is a turning point... A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breath-taking, that one knows one's life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London's most infamous bachelor, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton. After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca's surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer - the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin... Product Information: ISBN: 9780349429472 Author: Julia Quinn Publisher: Piatkus Format: Paperback Pages: 384 Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.6 x 2.8cm

1657. The youngest daughter of Oliver Cromwell, eighteen-year-old Frances is finding her place at England's new centre of power. Following the turmoil of Civil War, a fragile sense of stability has returned to the country. Her father has risen to the unprecedented position of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth, and Frances has found herself transported from her humble childhood home to the sumptuous palaces of Hampton Court and Whitehall, where she dreams of romance. But after an assassination attempt on the Cromwell family, Frances realises the precarious danger of her position - and when her father is officially offered the crown, Frances' fate becomes a matter of diplomatic and dynastic importance. Trapped in the web of court intrigue, Frances must make a choice. Allow herself to be a political pawn, or use her new status to take control - of her own future, and of her country's... Product Information: • ISBN: 9781409194811 • Author: Miranda Malins • Publisher: Orion • Format: Paperback • Pages: 464 • Dimensions: 19.8 x 12.8 x 3.2 cm

An uplifting, heart-wrenching novel based on the true story of the first ever NHS hospital . . . It's May 1945 and at 3pm, nurse Kitty Longthorne listens, together with the other surgical staff at South Manchester's Park Hospital, to Winston Churchill's broadcast on the radio. Germany has signed a declaration of complete surrender. The war is over in Europe and that day is to be celebrated as VE Day. The mood in Park Hospital - still full of wounded American soldiers - is jubilant and hopeful, though Kitty is anything but. Her clandestine squeeze and the man she hopes to marry, James Williams has been giving her the cold shoulder for the last week, and she can't work out why. Furthermore, her twin brother, Ned, is still missing in action - his last known whereabouts point to him being in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Product Information: • ISBN: 9781409191773 • Author: Maggie Campbell • Publisher: Trapeze • Format: Paperback • Pages: 352 • Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm