What’s On

John Suchet, previously well-known TV news reporter and newscaster and now regular presenter on Classic FM, is an acknowledged authority on Ludwig van Beethoven. He has written seven books on the subject and sold over 23,000 copies of Beethoven: The Man Revealed. His latest release, In Search of Beethoven, stands apart as a deeply personal ... John Suchet – In Search of Beethoven: A Personal Journey

The legendary ‘Red Devils’ were among the finest combat troops of the Second World War. Created at Churchill’s instigation in June 1940, they began as a single parachute battalion of 500 men and grew into three 10,000-strong airborne divisions: the 1st, 6th and 44th Indian, each composed of parachutists and glider-borne troops. Wearing their distinctive ... Saul David – Sky Warriors

A sweeping and epic story of adventure and courage, injustice and triumph, The Map of Bones by Kate Mosse is the sequel to the number one bestselling The Ghost Ship.Olifantshoek, Southern Africa, 1688. When the violent Cape wind blows from the south-east, they say the voices of the unquiet dead can be heard whispering through ... Kate Mosse – The Map of Bones

Britain’s best-selling historian writes the first definitive account of the famous televised SAS storming of the Iranian embassy in London in 1980 On April 30, 1980, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy on Princes Gate, overlooking Hyde Park in London. There they took 26 hostages, including embassy staff, visitors, and three British ... Ben Macintyre – The Siege

12 Midday Sunday 13 October 2024 During this walk the Chairman and Academic Director of the Thomas Hardy Society, Mark Damon Chutter, will guide you through Dorchester and Fordington to explore the world of architect, writer and poet Thomas Hardy (1840–1928), the  Dorset dialect poet and philologist, William Barnes (1801–1886), and the LGBT pioneer Sylvia ... Wessex Writers – A Literary Walk

In the words of the late Gillian Ayres, this is a book about “what can be done with painting.” Drawing on decades of conversations with practicing painters, acclaimed author Martin Gayford offers intimate insight into the practice, meaning, and potential of this timeless medium. As a way of making images, pigment applied to any surface ... Martin Gayford – How Painting Happens (and why it matters)

An introduction to the wondrous world of clouds, by the internationally bestselling founder of the Cloud Appreciation Society and a prize-winning children's book author and illustrator.Have you ever watched a cloud being born?Clouds come in all manner of shapes and sizes, from low-lying Stratus to high-flying Cirrus via roll clouds, banner clouds and tornados. This ... Gavin Pretor-Pinney – Cloud Spotting For Beginners

A History of How we Walk From Here to There A journey across Britain’s millennia-old network of pathways, revealing key moments throughout our history. Hundreds of thousands of miles of paths reach into, and connect, communities across England and Wales. By 2026, 10,000 miles of undiscovered footpaths around Britain stand to be lost. Jack Cornish ... Jack Cornish – The Lost Paths

Those who understand how AI thinks are about to win big. Leading British AI entrepreneur Nigel Toon explains why it’s so exciting and how it can be controlled. How AI Thinks shows us how we can harness the electrifying intelligence of machines. Unlike other books on AI which often scare us, through storytelling that shows ... Nigel Toon – How AI Thinks

A Doctor’s Stories of Intensive Care Dr Jim Down brings us to the very heart of the intensive care unit – the section of the hospital where the sickest patients are brought to be cared for until their condition improves. With honesty, humility and a streak of dark humour, Dr Down describes the quietly heroic ... Jim Down – Life in the Balance

The compelling first biography of Wilfred ‘Biffy’ Dunderdale – a ruthless and effective spymaster whose career spanned the Russian Revolution to the Cold War and beyond. A Suspicion of Spies is filled with stories of adventure, bravery,and glamour, revealing the complicated intrigues of the world of British intelligence. A lifelong friend of Ian Fleming,Biffy is ... Tim Spicer – A Suspicion of Spies