Despite differences in rank and background, King Henry II and Thomas Becket are lifelong friends. The King is in constant conflict with the Church, which refuses to contribute financing to his wars in France, and jealously guards the tax-free status granted it by previous monarchs. When the Archbishop of Canterbury dies, Henry has a brilliant idea: rather than another pious cleric loyal to Rome, he will appoint his old friend, Thomas Becket--technically...

Set in 1961 when Kempton Bunton, a 60-year-old taxi driver, stole Goya's portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery's history. Kempton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government agreed to provide television for free to the elderly. What happened next became the stuff of legend. Only 50 years later did the full...

It's 1919, WWI has just ended, and Harry Selfridge is struggling with loss. After the death of his beloved Rose, he is making costly business mistakes. His empire is weakened, and he is vulnerable to his old enemy Lord Loxley.

In the 1930s, the peaceful life of two aging sisters is shattered when they take in a young Polish violinist who they find injured after having been washed ashore near their coastal English home. Their town is suspicious of any visitors and things get worse when he befriends a Russian woman who is visiting the town.

"Mysterious, graceful, and ever-clever, otters have captivated our imaginations despite the fact that few people have encountered one in the wild. In Otter Country, celebrated nature writer Miriam Darlington captures the fascination she's had for these playful animals since childhood and chronicles her immersive journey into their watery world. Over the course of a single year, Darlington takes readers on a winding expedition in pursuit of these elusive...

"King William's war encompassed several proxy wars being fought by the English and the French through their native allies. The Beaver wars was a long running feud between the Iroquois Confederacy, New France, and New France's native allies over control of the lucrative fur trade. Fueled by English guns and money, the Iroquois attempted to divert the French fur trade towards their English trading partners in Albany, and in the process gain control...

Includes index.