Hugh Sebag-Montefiore approaches history with the incisive eye of a journalist and the precision of a barrister. His work delves into pivotal moments of British military endeavors, uncovering not just strategic maneuvers but the human stories at their core. Sebag-Montefiore possesses a unique ability to connect grand historical events with personal family ties, lending his narratives a profound resonance. His style is both informative and engaging, offering readers fresh perspectives on significant historical battles and their lasting impact.
The classic story by Charles Dickens retold as part of the Usborne Young Reading Programme for children ready to tackle longer and more complex stories. Set during the French Revolution, the lives of Charles Darnay and his family are changed forever as the drama unfolds.
A re-telling of the beloved Louisa May-Alcott story for younger children. The inspirational story follows the fortunes of the March sisters as they struggle through the American Civil War and learn the importance of love, family and following their dreams. Usborne Young Reading Series 3 is for confident readers.
Suitable for children whose reading ability and confidence allows them to tackle longer and complex stories, this title tells the doomed love story of Cathy and Heathcliffe as seen through the eyes of a neighbor, Mr Lockwood, and the old nurse, Nelly Dean.
Sebag-Montefiore has created a bold and powerful account of the small group of men who fended off the German army so that hundreds of thousands of their comrades could exit this doomed land.
Presenting a tale of imprisonment, both literal and metaphorical, this novel highlights its concern with personal responsibility in private and public life.
An extraordinary and fresh account of the most famous battle in World War One. No conflict better encapsulates all that went wrong on the Western Front than the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The tragic loss of life and stoic endurance by troops who walked towards their death is an iconic image which will be hard to ignore during the centennial year. Despite this, this book shows the extent to which the Allied armies were in fact able repeatedly to break through the German front lines. By focusing on the first-hand experiences of both Allied and enemy soldiers, the author weaves a remarkable portrait of life at the Front.
A king and queen have fallen on hard times - but then their eldest daughter is given a magic wishbone. Can this improve their fortunes? A magical retelling of a Charles Dickens' fairytale, specially written for children who have just started reading alone and developed in conjunction with a reading expert from Roehampton University.
Classic / British English David Copperfield's happy life suddenly changes when his mother marries again. Her new husband is cruel to him and sends him away to school. When David's mother dies, he is sent to work in London. He hates his job so he runs away. He has no money for food or for travelling. But it is the beginning of his life of adventure.
Imprisoned in the Gulags for a crime he did not commit, Benya Golden joins a penal battalion made up of Cossacks and convicts to fight the Nazis. He enrols in the Russian cavalry, and on a hot summer day in July 1942, he and his band of brothers are sent on a desperate mission behind enemy lines. Switching between Benya's war in the grasslands of Southern Russia, and Stalin's plans in the Kremlin, between Benya's intense affair with an Italian nurse and a romance between Stalin's daughter and a journalist also on the Eastern Front, this is a sweeping story of passion, bravery and human survival where personal betrayal is a constant companion, and death just a hearbeat away.
Breaking the German Enigma codes involved not just mathematicians at Bletchley Park but also the daring efforts of spies, naval officers, and ordinary British seamen. Many risked their lives to seize vital Enigma codebooks from Nazi officials and sinking German vessels. This account covers the entire Enigma saga, from its original use by German forces to the Poles’ initial breakthrough, which they shared with the British. The more complex German Navy Enigma seemed unbreakable at first. Hugh Sebag-Montefiore, a journalist and author, has uncovered files from the Ministry of Defence and newly declassified documents in the US. He has also connected with last surviving witnesses, including Paul Pailliole, head of French counterintelligence, who provides firsthand insights into the espionage surrounding Enigma. Winston Churchill referred to the breaking of the German Enigma Code as “the secret weapon that won the war.” Sebag-Montefiore reveals the complete story of how the Allies cracked the code, detailing the perilous missions of sailors, spies, and agents who captured essential codebooks. Drawing from newly accessed archives and personal accounts, this narrative uncovers the remarkable decryption efforts that significantly influenced the course of World War II.
