Books published by John Murray Press

'A prodigy of imagination, insight and overwhelming tenderness' Independent'Remember me when I'm gone' just took on a whole new meaning . . . Laura Byrd is in trouble. Three weeks ago she and her friends found themselves alone in one of the coldest, most remote places on earth. Her friends set out in search of help, and now Laura realises that they are not coming back. So she gathers her remaining supplies and sets out on an extraordinary journey. Meanwhile in another city, more and more people arrive every day. Each has a different story to tell, but their accounts have one thing in common - it was their final journey. For this is the city of the dead. And the link between this city and Laura's journey lies at the heart of this remarkable novel. The Brief History of the Dead tells a magical story about our lives - about our place in the world, our connections with each other, and what happens to us all after our deaths. It is a story of spellbinding power and imagination, which resonates long after the final page.

When Jenny and Robert fall in love in the late 1960s they decide to build a new future together, away from the city. They escape to an isolated sheep farm nestled on a mountainside. It has no running water but it is beautiful and rugged. Their young sons can roam wild. As their flock struggles, money runs low and rain drives in horizontally across the fields, inside the ancient house their marriage begins to unravel. Wilful and romantic, Jenny refuses to abandon her farm. She will bring her boys up single-handedly on the mountain. Together they embark on a perilous adventure. Running for the Hills is astonishing family memoir Horatio Clare vividly recreates his mother s extraordinary way of life and his own bewitching childhood in a magical story of love and struggle.

In June 1940, the German Army had brought the rest of Europe to its knees. 'Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world will move forward into broad, sunlit uplands,' said Churchill. The future of Europe depended on Britain. A self-confident Herman Goring thought that it would be only a matter of weeks before his planes had forced Britain to surrender. The courage, resourcefulness and brilliant organisation of the RAF were to prove him wrong. By late September 1940, the RAF had proved invincible, thanks to the Vickers Supermarine Spitfire. It exceeded anything that any other air force possessed. RJ Mitchell, a shy and almost painfully modest engineer, was the genius behind the Spitfire. On the 5th March 1936, following its successful maiden flight, a legend was born. Prize-winning historian Leo McKinstry's vivid history of the Spitfire brings together a rich cast of characters and first hand testimonies. It is a tale full of drama and heroism, of glory and tragedy, with the main protagonist the remarkable plane that played a crucial role in saving Britain.

In its mild forms, stammering, or stuttering, makes communication difficult; in the severer forms it makes it impossible, affecting in social, educational and work life. This book offers ways people who had resigned themselves to a life limited by stammering, with practical exercises.

The diaries of the National Trust's country house expert James Lees-Milne (1908-97) have been hailed as 'one of the treasures of contemporary English literature'. The first of three, this volume, which includes interesting material omitted when the diaries were originally published during the author's lifetime, covers the years 1942 to 1954, beginning with his wartime visits to hard-pressed country house owners, and ending with his marriage to the exotic Alvilde Chaplin.

The real England, the real John Betjeman

Packed full of golden rules from one of Britain's most stylish women, Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me is a woman's companion for life. Lucia van der Post reveals the secrets of dressing stylishly with advice on everything from how to organise your wardrobe, what to wear to travel and where to buy delicious underwear, great cashmere and sassy skirts. Practical health and beauty tips will help you to choose a sophisticated scent, get fitter and decide whether cosmetic surgery is for you.Once you've mastered looking fantastic, learn how to add some elegance to other areas of your life. Discover great shortcuts to entertaining your guests as well as suggestions, from designers around the world, on how to make your home match the elegant new you. With advice on relationships, motherhood and how to juggle work, love and children, this is the essential handbook for women of all ages. Whether you are just starting out in life or want to age gracefully and make 60 the new 40, let Lucia van der Post guide you towards a new life and a new you with a touch of style.

THE MAKING OF MUSIC is the story of our musical history, its origins and how it has shaped us. We have all grown up with a common background noise, whether we realise it or not. The tradition of European music that took shape in medieval monasteries, then in churches and courts, and moved into the salons, concert halls and theatres in later centuries, is in our cultural bloodstream. James Naughtie delves into the colourful, turbulent world of music - its characters, traditions and mysterious power - in a delightfully lively and personal way. His story is richly peopled and animated by moments of drama: what it was like at the first night of The Rite of Spring, when the dancers could neither hear their instructions nor could Stravinsky continue conducting because the booing was so loud; how it must have felt for Beethoven to scratch Napoleon's name off the dedication page of the 'Eroica' Symphony because he believed the emperor to have betrayed the French Revolution. As when presenting the Proms, James Naughtie brings to THE MAKING OF MUSIC that particular blend of expertise and approachability set to delight the aficionado and the uninitiated alike.

Brought up as a Christian, Marina Nemat's peaceful childhood in Tehran was shattered when the Iranian Revolution of 1979 ushered in a new era of Islamic rule. After complaining to her teachers about her Maths lessons being replaced by Koran study, Marina was arrested late one evening. She was taken to the notorious prison, Evin, where interrogation and torture were part of the daily routine. Aged sixteen, she was sentenced to death. Her prison guard snatched her from the firing squad bullets but exacted a shocking price in return: marriage to him and conversion to Islam. Marina lived out her prison days as his secret bride, spending nights with him in a separate cell. Marina struggled to reconcile her hatred towards Ali and her feelings of physical repulsion with the fact that he had saved her life. When Ali was murdered by his enemies from Evin, and saved Marina's life for a second time, her feelings were complicated even further. At last she was able to return home, to her family and her past life, but silence surrounded her time as a political prisoner and the regime kept her under constant surveillance. Marina's world had been changed forever and she questions whether she will ever escape Iran and its regime or be free of her memories of Evin.

A special updated edition of this bestselling book celebrating the 60th anniversary of Brother Andrew's first trip. This reissue of God's Smuggler has new material from interviews with Brother Andrew and, for the first time, a photo section with photos spanning the many years of Brother Andrew's ministry.

The Five Love Languages saved your marriage - this book will transform your life!

A personal collection of the most inspiring Christmas carols, poems and readings

From the acclaimed author of River Town comes a rare and authentic portrait - both intimate and epic - of twenty-first century China as it opens its doors to the world

Are you applying to - or considering applying to -a police force in England or Wales? If so you will have to take part in the National Police Selection Process. This book contains plenty of preparation exercises to hone your skills and build your confidence before the day.

Shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award'A novel of fate and free will, forensic detection and blind love, crime and its justifications . . . finely tuned yet extravagantly complex' Evening StandardA cold October night, 1854. In a dark passageway, an innocent man is stabbed to death. So begins the extraordinary story of Edward Glyver, book lover, scholar and murderer. As a young boy, Glyver always believed he was destined for greatness. This seems the stuff of dreams, until a chance discovery convinces Glyver that he was right: greatness does await him, along with immense wealth and influence. And he will stop at nothing to win back a prize that he now knows is rightfully his. Glyver's path leads him from the depths of Victorian London, with its foggy streets, brothels and opium dens, to Evenwood, one of England's most enchanting country houses. His is a story of betrayal and treachery, of death and delusion, of ruthless obsession and ambition. And at every turn, driving Glyver irresistibly onwards, is his deadly rival: the poet-criminal Phoebus Rainsford Daunt. Thirty years in the writing, The Meaning of Night is a stunning achievement. Full of drama and passion, it is an enthralling novel that will captivate readers right up to its final thrilling revelation.

The first ever personal account of the family at the heart of the Profumo Affair

Two Henri Nouwen classics in one volume

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The numbers of those with sinusitis have risen by around 25% in recent years. This is thought to be due to lifestyle factors and environmental pollution, and is in line with the rising prevalence of allergies in general. This book looks at how to manage sinusitis.

By 1700, France and Italy already had dictionaries of their own, and it became a matter of national pride that England should rival them. Dr Johnson rose to the challenge, turning over the garret of his London home to the creation of his Dictionary. He imagined it would take three years. Eight years later it was finally published, full of idiosyncrasies, but complete nevertheless. It would become the most important British cultural monument of the eighteenth century. This is the story of Johnson's attempt to define each and every word. In wonderfully engaging chapters, Hitchings describes Johnson's adventure - his ambition and vision, his moments of despair, the mistakes he made along the way and his ultimate triumph.