A four-volume history of the British Empire from the Roman invasions to the death of Queen Victoria and its influence upon the other English speaking peoples of the world.

Drawing on numerous interviews and never-before-revealed documents, acclaimed biographer Sally Bedell Smith pulls back the curtain to show in intimate detail the public and private lives of Queen Elizabeth II, who has led her country and Commonwealth through the wars and upheavals of the last sixty years with unparalleled composure, intelligence, and grace.

"Never again" became Queen Elizabeth II's mantra shortly after Princess Diana's tragic death. More specifically, there could never be "another Diana"--a member of the family whose global popularity upstaged, outshone, and posed an existential threat to the British monarchy. Brown takes readers on a tour de force journey through the scandals, love affairs, power plays, and betrayals that have buffeted the monarchy over the last twenty-five years. We...

Sally Bedell Smith brings us the first authoritative treatment of Charles, Prince of Wales that brings to life the real man, with all of his ambitions, insecurities, and convictions. It follows him through his lonely childhood, his difficult years at school, his early love affairs, his intellectual quests, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and his intense search for spiritual meaning. It sheds light on the tragedy of his first marriage, the death of Diana,...

As Season Five begins in 1924, the radio is the latest miracle, a new Labour government heralds changes through the land, and Downton's traditional ways are besieged on all fronts. Robert, Mary, and Branson must navigate these shifting sands together to ensure the future of the estate for generations to come. As Branson finds himself playing a more crucial role at Downton than ever before, he can't help but question his place in the world. Mary is...

From the mysterious Druids and noble King Alfred to the notorious Henry VIII and the Glorious Revolution of 1688, Charles Dickens traced his country's history for the benefit of young Victorians. Written with the beloved storyteller's customary panache, this series of historical vignettes reads like a fast-paced novel, rich in anecdotes and colorful stories. Dickens' unsparing, witty, and opinionated perspectives on the great pageant of English history...

"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Lost City of Z, a mesmerizing story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty's...

"In 1989 someone is threatening to steal the crown jewels, so the Queen of England summons Mac B. to England to protect them--and when they are stolen from a locked dungeon cell, where Mac and Holcroft, one of the warders, are supposed to be guarding them, it is up to Mac to figure out how they were stolen, and whether the thief is the descendant of an Irish soldier-of-fortune who tried to steal them in 1671, or someone else entirely."--

The year is 1925. Momentous changes threaten the great house, its owners, and its servants, while past scandals continue to loom. Return to the sumptuous setting of Downton Abbey for the sixth and final season to discover what will finally become of the Crawley family, and the servants who work for them, as they face new challenges and begin forging different paths in a rapidly changing world. Secrets and rifts threaten the unity of the family, while...

"Harry Potter and Sense and Sensibility actor Alan Rickman builds upon his legacy as a world-class actor, a tireless political activist, an avid traveler, and more through his diaries--a twenty-five-year passion project in which Rickman invites readers backstage and into his life. Alan Rickman remains the one of the most beloved actors of all time across almost every genre in the American and British markets, from his breakout role as Die Hard's Hans...