Books

Have you ever wondered which composer wrote his first symphony when he was just 8-years-old or how Roman legions were arranged? If you never thought about what Scratching Fanny was doing on Cock Lane or who the pigs were based on in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, then this is a …

Ware is following in the illustrious footsteps of Ian Rankin, Lee Child and Val McDermid as programming chair of the festival.   The world-famous event, supported by the Daily and Sunday Express and now in its 21st year, will take place in Harrogate, North Yorks, from July 18 to 21 …

When Ali Hazelwood first came out with The Love Hypothesis and readers just about fell over themselves I wasn’t sure it could live up to the hype. But, sure enough, I stayed up into the early hours of the morning unable to put it down; I reread it almost instantly …

There are few series that actually leave me impatient for the following instalment. Once Upon a Broken Heart has been one of the few to leave me itching to find out what happens next, so when A Curse for True Love arrived on my doorstep I dropped all of my …

Anton Du Beke has added another string to his bow (Image: Daily Express) In the flesh, Anton Du Beke is even more debonair than on Strictly Come Dancing. He may be dressed in a smart sports jacket rather than black tie, but there is an innate elegance to this man …

Over 12 years since the release of A Dance with Dragons and A Song of Ice and Fire fans are losing their patience. The Game of Thrones TV show has come and gone within this timeframe as George RR Martin continues to write The Winds of Winter. Every now and …

Inspired: Magdi knew at the age of six that he wanted to save lives (Image: Yacoub family archive.) Forty years ago today legendary surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub carried out the UK’s first heart and lung transplant, saving the life of Swedish journalist Lars Ljungberg who had approached the surgeon …

Dom Joly digs up conspiracy theories in new book (Image: Getty) They are, fairly obviously, not questions that trouble the vast majority of us: Does Finland exist? Is the Earth really flat? Where is the US government hiding aliens? But, as Dom Joly attests, a significant number of people spend …

Michael Caine’s new novel (Image: Getty/Hodder & Stoughton) When Dave looked back and remembered seeing the box for the first time, he could have sworn it had been glowing. Well, he couldn’t be sure. He was a bit hazy about the whole thing, truth be told, what with the concussion, …

It was 60 years ago today that CS Lewis and Aldous Huxley died, but news of their deaths were overshadowed by the assassination of President John F Kennedy that very same day of November 22, 1963. JFK’s short administration spanned just over 1000 days, but historians lay and academic have …