In his 100th novel, master historian Paul Doherty weaves his magic in an epic tale of murderous schemes and a bloody political order.King Henry VIII, a fearsome figure of power and stature, lies upon upon his deathbed diminished by sickness and haunted by ghosts from his past. Only Will Somers, long-serving jester and confidant, sees all. While Henry is confined to his chamber, Will begins a journal that will document his king's last turbulent days.The country is fraught with tension. The king's son and heir just nine years old, there are many power-hungry councillors who will stop at nothing to better themselves. Now as the king's health falls, rebellion threatens amidst widespread rumours of plots against him. With few allies remaining, will Henry himself become the final victim of his reckless, bloody reign?'

    Stumbling onward into adolescence he lays bare a young man's desperate attempts to make sense of a world distorted by alcohol, bullies and yes men, This striking first novel, or 'creative confession', is at turns hilarious and harrowing. Laced with lindes of unforgettable poetry it is that rare and wonderful thing - a book which had to be written.

    While her story is often told with wonder and awe, historians and writers ignore the tale of her daughter, Laadli: the reluctant princess who found herself sucked in the maelstrom of her insensitive mother's ruthless ambitions. Destiny having thrust royalty on her, Laadli was trapped into living a life dictated by her ambitious mother. She travelled through tragic events of her life with a stoic optimism.The novel is a peep into pages of history - a saga of broken hearts, palace intrigues, ruthless machinations, endless tussles for power and riches, decadence and debauchery. Set against the background of the opulence of the Mughal Empire, Nur Jahan's Daughter is the story of a royal lineage plunged into fratricidal friction, treachery, unbelievable loyalty and passion; a colourful tapestry woven with the splendorous skeins of life in medieval India and the Mughal courts. Nur Jahan's Daughter presents a vibrant and pulsating view of those times through a fascinating kaleidoscope of events.

    Complete with the screenplay and photos from the new film starring Peter O'Toole and Sam Neill.

    Self-discovery in a convent leads her to her confessor, Father Dirrag, and she is soon launched upon the path of reason that convinces her that passion and love of the Deity are equal gifts of God. With additional mentors, Therese learns that sensations are but a part of temperament, as natural as hunger and thirst, and all may be satisfied as long as it does not harm others.

    The Birdman is a member of a loose-knit group of failed suicides, each pursuing absurd ways to end their lives: one saving up lost-dog reward money to buy enough good whiskey to drink himself to death, another hoping to contract a fatal disease by sleeping with as many women as possible. When it seems these routines will continue indefinitely, the Birdman meets a “professional” suicide: the dangerous and inscrutable “man with orange suspenders,” who makes a living by trying to hang himself whenever he sees a potential rescuer approaching. This chance encounter, which leads at last to a real death, will force the Birdman to confront the roots of his desire to escape from life, and to see first-hand that dying is more than just a rehearsal.

    The title story in this collection of 12 works, told by an aging beauty whose highly erotic nature is her constant undoing, ranges over all of 17th-century Japanese life. The narrator is successively wife, court lady, courtesan, priest's concubine, mistress of a feudal lord and a streetwalker. Ivan Morris, chairman of the Department of East Asian Studies and Cultures of Columbia University has done a brilliant translation, an introduction, extensive notes, bibliography and two essays on social customs of the period. Illustrated."The fine style of the writing and the clear outlines of illustrations which are not even remotely 'suggestive' give Saikaku's pornography grace adn wit and charity."       — James Kirkup

    Set in a sultan's court in the Congo, the novel begins with Mangogul (the Sultan) suffering from acute boredom, only to be rescued by a genie offering the potentate a magic ring that, when pointed at women, causes their genitals, or 'jewels,' to speak. The resulting story, delightful in its wit and satire, was so openly irreverent and critical of the French Court at Versailles—with the Sultan as Louis XV and his favorite as Mme de Pompadour—that it caused Diderot some egregious trouble with the Parisian authorities. But "The Indiscreet Jewels" is more than just a political roman a clef. The Sultan's 'scientific method' reveals an allegory of the female body. What the 'jewels' say is at once a parody and supreme example of the French Enlightenment's urge to seek knowledge above and beyond the hypocrisies, inhibitions, and limitations of everyday life.

    it was the first major Persian romance, written between 1050 and 1055 in rhyming couplets. This remarkable work has now been superbly translated into heroic couplets (the closest metrical equivalent of the Persian) by the poet and scholar Dick Davis.

    Beginning with a history of the Timur Dynasty, the three-volume history goes on to chronicle in vivid detail the events of Akbar's reign, including an overview of Hindu culture, religion, and philosophy for the edification of his Muslim readers. Henry Beveridge's English translation was completed in 1921, more than two decade after he began.

    The beautiful princess Prabhavati was not aware of his ugliness when she married him. Kusha's mother saw to it that the princess never set eyes on her son's face. But when she did, Prabhavati refused to have anything to do with her husband and went away leaving poor Kusha broken-hearted.

    Things take an unexpected turn when Bheeshma disrupts the swayamvar and kidnaps the three princesses for his brother, Vichi-travirya, the ruler of Hastinapur. Amba vows to avenge the insult meted out to her. She appeals to several kings and princes to help her destroy Bheeshma but they all refuse as he is too powerful an adversary to challenge. Disappointed and filled with rage, Amba decides to take revenge herself and prays to Shiva to guide her. Amar Chitra Katha tells the compelling story of one who played a crucial role in the final outcome of the epic battle of Kurukshetra.

    Drawing upon common weaknesses – arrogance, greed and narrow-mindedness among others – he makes us laugh even as we recognise some of our petty weaknesses.

    While sheltering in a temple, he meets Durgesh Nandini, the daughter of a Bengali nobleman and falls deeply in love with her. Unfortunately, her father is a sworn enemy of Jagat Singh's father.In this climate of war and hatred, will their love survive. Durgesh Nandini is an adaptation of a novel, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894).

    Niels Klim discovers worlds within our own—exotic civilizations and fabulous creatures scattered across the underside of the earth's crust and, at the earth's center, a small, inhabited planet orbiting around a miniature sun. In an epic journey, Klim visits countries led by sentient and contemplative trees, a kingdom of intelligent apes preoccupied with fashion and change, a land whose inhabitants don’t speak out of their mouths, neighboring countries of birds locked in an eternal war, and a land where string basses talk musically to one another. Brave, inquisitive, and greedy, Klim faces many challenges, the greatest of which are his own temptations. The Journey of Niels Klim to the World Underground is a classic in speculative fiction and was the first fully realized novel set underground in a hollow earth. First published in 1741, it has earned comparisons to Jonathan Swift’s contemporaneous fantasy, Gulliver’s Travels.