Böcker i Macmillan Collector's Library-serien

A compellingly powerful novel about racial relations that is as relevant now as it was one hundred years ago.

A beautiful and sustaining volume of poetry which offers inspiration for funeral readings.

An enchanting collection of poetry and a wonderful gift for new parents.

The first autobiography written by a British black woman.

Taking its title from the strangely frozen picture by the surrealist painter Giorgio de Chirico, The Enigma of Arrival tells the story of a young Indian from the Caribbean arriving in post-imperial England and consciously, over many years, finding himself as a writer. It is the story of a journey, from one place to another, from the British colony of Trinidad to the ancient countryside of England, and from one state of mind to another, and is perhaps V. S. Naipaul's most autobiographical work. Yet alongside this he weaves a rich and complex web of invention and observation. Finding depth and pathos in the smallest moments - the death of a cottager, the firing of an estate's gardener - Naipaul also comprehends the bigger picture - watching as the old world is lost to the gradual but permanent changes wrought on the English landscape by the march of 'progress'. 'Written with the expected beauty of style . . . Instead of diminishing life, Naipaul ennobles it' Anthony Burgess, Observer

An angry account of working-class life in the 1930s and a call to embrace social equality. With an introduction by Amelia Gentleman.

A celebration in stories of some of the most influential and groundbreaking women writers in the English language.

A sparkling collection of Christmas stories from our most loved authors, introduced by Ned Halley and featuring illustrations by Alice Ercle Hunt.

H. G. Wells' classic science-fiction novel about a man who's turned himself invisible.

An exciting collection of short stories showcasing the very best of classic science-fiction writing.

Elizabeth von Arnim's much-loved novel about four women sharing a castle in the Italian Riviera.

The central novel from V.S. Naipaul's Booker Prize-winning narrative of displacement, published for the first time in a stand-alone edition.'In a Free State was conceived in 1969 as a sequence about displacement. There was to be a central novel, set in Africa, with shorter surrounding matter from other places. The shorter pieces from these varied places were intended to throw a universal light on the African material. But then, as the years passed and the world changed, and I felt myself less of an oddity as a writer, I grew to feel that the central novel was muffled and diminished by the surrounding material and I began to think that the novel should be published on its own. This is what, many years after its first publication, my publisher is doing in this edition.' - V. S. Naipaul. In a Free State is set in Africa, in a place like Uganda or Rwanda, and its two main characters are English. They had once found liberation in Africa. But now Africa is going sour on them. The land is no longer safe, and at a time of tribal conflict they have to make a long drive to the safety of their compound. At the end of this drive - the narrative tight, wonderfully constructed, the formal and precise language always instilled with violence and rage - we know everything about the English characters, the African country, and the Idi Amin-like future awaiting it.

The second book in Lucy Maud Montgomery's much loved Anne of Green Gables series.

Lesson number one: When taking a cow's temperature the old-fashioned way, never let go of the thermometer . . . Now firmly ensconced in the sleepy Yorkshire village of Darrowby, recently qualified vet James Herriot has acclimatized to life with his unpredictable colleagues, brothers Siegfried and Tristan Farnon. But veterinary practice in the 1930s was never going to be easy, and there are challenges on the horizon, from persuading his clients to let him use his 'modern' equipment, to becoming an uncle (to a pig called Nugent). Throw in his first encounters with Helen, the beautiful daughter of a local farmer, and this year looks to be as eventful as the last... From the author whose books inspired the BBC series All Creatures Great and Small, It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet is the second volume of James Herriot's classic memoirs; a book for all those who find laughter and joy in animals, and who know and understand the magic and beauty of Britain's wild places.

'I grew up reading James Herriot's book and I'm delighted that thirty years on they are still every bit as charming, heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny as they were then.' Kate Humble Fresh out of Veterinary College, and shoulder-deep in an uncooperative cow, James Herriot's first job is not panning out exactly as expected . . . To a Glaswegian like James, 1930s Yorkshire appears to offer an idyllic pocket of rural life in a rapidly changing world. But even life in the sleepy village of Darrowby has its challenges. On the one hand there are his new colleagues, Siegfried and Tristan Farnon, two brothers who attract a constant stream of local girls to whom James is strangely invisible. On the other he must contend with herds of semi-feral cattle, gruff farmers with incomprehensible accents and an overweight Pekingese called Tricki Woo . . . Heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measure, If Only They Could Talk is a book for all those who find laughter and joy in animals, and who know and understand the magic and beauty of Britain's wild places.

The most famous memoir of its kind and a key text in the anti-slavery movement, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass tells the striking and emotionally charged story of one man's journey from slavery to freedom. Complete & Unabridged. Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is introduced by Dr Lydia Plath.Born into a life of slavery in Maryland in 1818, Frederick Douglass spent his youth passed from master to master, from city to field, and subjected to unimaginable cruelty. Along this journey he sought knowledge, he learned to read and write, and he discovered that education was his key to salvation. Using everything he learned and fuelled by all he was forced to endure, Douglass managed to escape and then, eventually, to free himself from slavery. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, a startlingly honest account of his struggle, played a fundamental role in the abolition of slavery, a movement that Douglass dedicated his life to.

Three of George Bernard Shaw's most famous plays with a preface by Oscar-winning actress Judi Dench.

Bound in gorgeous blue cloth, Wedding Readings and Poems is full of wonderful poems and prose to read at wedding ceremonies and it is a beautiful little gift for engaged couples, bridesmaids and wedding guests.

An entertaining and wide-ranging collection of stories about man's best friend.

The moving story of a little dog with a huge heart and of the unbreakable bond between an animal and his owner.Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features an introduction by Mary Paulson-Ellis.When Auld Jock, a shepherd, loses his job, he moves to Edinburgh in search of work. But the city isn't kind to him and he falls into a life of poverty. Lonely, old and ill, his only companion is a plucky little Skye terrier named Bobby, who belonged to the farmer that dismissed Jock. When the farmer tries to take the dog back, Bobby escapes and finds his way back to town. From that day on, he stays devoted to Auld Jock, even guarding the old man's grave in Greyfriars kirkyard for many years. Inspired by true events, Eleanor Atkinson's Greyfriars Bobby is the deeply touching story of an inseparable bond and a wonderful evocation of Edinburgh in the late nineteenth century.

The inspiration for the hit Netflix show, Lupin, Arsene Lupin is charming, clever and bold. A master of disguise, he steals from the rich, he outsmarts the police and he's generous to those in need. And above all, he never takes himself too seriously. This French Robin Hood has charmed readers for generations and the stories about his dazzling escapades have been adapted countless times for television, stage and film. Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition of The Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Thief is translated from the French by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos and features an introduction by Emma Bielecki. In the opening stories, Lupin is arrested, only to engineer his own incredible escape. What follows are wonderfully entertaining and action packed stories that finish with a brief encounter with none other than Sherlock Holmes. These stories were first published together in 1907 and this edition of the gentleman thief's very first adventures is the perfect place to start exploring his world of daring escapes, cunning disguises and ambitious heists.

A beguiling anthology of poetry and prose for everyone who loves Cornwall.

A delightful collection of prose and poetry celebrating the rich literary history of Yorkshire.

The Gardener's Year is a charming and light-hearted insight into the life of an amateur gardener. Structured loosely around what to plant, grow or cultivate each month, Karel Capek takes us on a rollicking journey through a year in his own small garden.Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features lively black and white illustrations by Czech artist Josef Capek and is translated by M. and R. Weatherall.From making puddles with an untamable hose to sowing luxuriant weeds instead of grass, Capek reveals how a gardener grows into his surroundings 'spurred on by each new failure'. Subverting the tradition of a 'how to' gardening book, he teaches his readers about the magic of seeds, the perils of planting vegetables and the thrilling surprises of a rock garden. As the year progresses and frail buds turn from flowering stems to drooping bulbs and falling leaves, Capek's small garden buzzes with life, wisdom and humour.

Countless writers have been inspired by the beauty of birds - their colours, their easy flight, their lightness and softness, and the grace and whimsicality of their ways. Our literature, especially our poetry, is full of them.Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. Spanning from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, Poems About Birds captures the enticing lives of birds through the eyes of classic poets. From John Keats' 'Ode to a Nightingale' to Sylvia Lynd's 'The Return of the Goldfinches', and from Alfred Lord Tennyson's 'The Eagle' to William Wordsworth's 'To The Skylark', countless varieties of bird are celebrated here. This annotated edition of Poems About Birds selects the very best from H. J. Massingham's original collection which was first published in 1922.

Hand in Hand with Love is a celebration of queer voices throughout the ages, featuring an electrifying range of poems from Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Oscar Wilde, Christina Rossetti, Wilfred Owen and many more. Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is edited by Dr Simon Avery, a specialist in queer history and culture at the University of Westminster. From Sappho and the Ancient Greeks to Edna St. Vincent Millay and the modernists, this luminous anthology champions and redefines the spectrum of queer poetry - from visionary writers whose only safe space to express their intimate thoughts was on the page, to the pioneering poets who paved the way for decades to come. Together, these dynamic voices offer a vivid archive of queer identity to be celebrated, discovered and treasured.

The stories of the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece are sprawling, dramatic and strange; lives intertwine and behaviours fluctuate wildly from benevolent to violent, from didactic to fickle, from loving to enraged.Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.In Greek Myths: Gods and Goddesses Jean Menzies sets out to capture the magic of these stories and to make sense of the mythological world. Drawing on a wide variety of retellings, and with an entertaining commentary to guide the reader through them, Greek Myths: Gods and Goddesses is the perfect book for learning about the world of the Greek deities and a treat for all fans of Greek Mythology.Greek Myths have been part of Western culture since they were first set down by the ancients. The fact that there is no one definitive account means that through the centuries the stories have been ripe for reinterpretation according to the politics and fashions of the time. Classicist Jean Menzies has carefully chosen each retelling from 19th and 20th century published tales by writers, scholars and teachers to bring to life the stories of Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Hermes, Pandora and many more.

Voted the top crime novel of all time by the UK Crime Writer's Association, The Daughter of Time is Josephine Tey's last and most successful book.Complete and unabridged. Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.Inspector Alan Grant is laid up in hospital with a spinal injury and he's bored. Renowned for his ability to read a face, he passes the time looking at old portraits and one which particularly grabs his attention is of Richard III, the supposed arch villain who killed his own nephews, 'the princes in the tower' But Grant doesn't accept the face in the portrait is the face of a villain so he sets out to investigate what really happened. An unusual premise for a crime novel perhaps, but nevertheless an extremely clever and engrossing one, brilliantly plotted and written with enormous charm and erudition.

A young girl claims she was kidnapped and abused, but who is really telling the truth?

With a preface by Elizabeth Macneal and original illustrations by Laurence Housman.Two sisters, Laura and Lizzie, are enticed by the smells, sounds and sights of the goblin market, tempted by the ripe figs, plump cherries and fragrant berries. Whilst Lizzie resists, Laura is slowly destroyed by her insatiable longing for the goblin's forbidden fruit.Complete & Unabridged. Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. Here is Christina Rossetti's first critically acclaimed collection of poetry. Published in 1862, as well as 'Goblin Market' it contains some of her most treasured work, such as 'A Birthday', 'An Apple Gathering' and 'Remember'. It launched her career as the foremost female poet of her time and, more than a century later, modern readers are still seduced by its symbolism and sensual language.